Was this called Painting the Tape? Also, maybe it's late and I 'm brain dead, but if, say, there is only an OTM put option, let's say 1.50 and no bid. And I were to IM Rosy and say I want to sell her a put at 1.40, and she agrees. What does she gain? She'll be long a put and presumably hedging with a long stock, no? I would be happy to have her do this when ever I am missing a bid on a quote.
Quote from FullyArticulate:
This arrangement is pretty innocent. At the same time, someone advertising in many public forums many times, "Let's break the law together, IM me for more details" will eventually draw the attention of someone at the CFTC or SEC.
Since trading is about as anonymous as Internet usage, it won't be hard to get caught and fined.
But really, I don't care... Caveat emptor, caveat venditor--that's my only reason for posting.