To: Biomaven who wrote (6573 ) 6/26/2002 3:23:24 AM From: Doc Bones Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 52153 Alas, in the current environment, even if the hoax had been true, it might not have had much more effect than it did. <g> This one is not true either, but it sure shows how far we have fallen. They used to post fraudulent stories and reap hundreds of thousands. Now they buy $500 worth of stock, and nobody pays any attention anyway. Doc p.s. to SEC: There may be some bigger fish out there to fry too.online.wsj.com Georgia Teen Settles SEC Case Over Bogus Posting on Internet By JUDITH BURNS DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON -- A Georgia teenager settled a Securities and Exchange Commission proceeding claiming he posted a bogus news story on Internet message boards last month to boost shares of Viragen International Inc. Benjamin Snyder, a 17-year-old high-school student, settled the matter without admitting or denying SEC allegations he created a news article made up to look like a Bloomberg.com article, reporting that the Food and Drug Administration had approved a Viragen drug to treat anthrax. The bogus news story, which carried the name of a real Bloomberg reporter, said Viragen's stock was expected to multiply six- or seven-fold. "It was absolutely false," said John Reed Stark, director of Internet enforcement at the SEC in Washington. "It was an effort to capitalize on the anthrax scare." However, SEC officials said there was no evidence the postings on the popular Raging Bull message boards (www.ragingbull.com) generated any interest in the stock. "We found no one who read the postings and believed them," said Mr. Stark. In fact, he said one reader alerted the SEC to the postings as a possible scam. Benjamin Snyder used a computer at the Lawrenceville, Ga., public library on May 13 to spread the fake report, the SEC said. The teenager owned about $500 of stock in Viragen, bought through an account opened by his father, a Lawrenceville minister. When the first posting failed to budge the stock price, Benjamin Snyder posted the story again, two days later, regulators said. Mr. Stark said the attempts to manipulate the stock market and evade detection by using the library's computer failed. "We caught him in about a day and a half." Benjamin Snyder admitted to the alleged scheme and, since he made no profit on it, the SEC didn't impose any fine or require him to fork over any ill-gotten gains. He settled the SEC administrative proceeding by agreeing to a cease-and-desist order. "We feel we were treated fairly. Ben is glad to have this behind him and has learned a valuable lesson," said his attorney, Jonathan Peters. Mr. Peters said Benjamin Snyder didn't profit from his online activity "and probably lost some." His father sold his shares and liquidated his account after the alleged scam was uncovered. Benjamin Snyder isn't the first teenager to run afoul of the SEC. For instance, a 15-year-old, Jonathan Lebed, of Cedar Grove, N.J., settled with the agency in 2000, repaying $285,000 of gains allegedly made through online stock fraud. Write to Judith Burns at judith.burns@dowjones.com Updated June 25, 2002 9:15 p.m. EDT