SEC Announces International Fraud Task Force Targeting ‘Pump-And-Dump’ Schemes

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is launching a Cross-Border Task Force to investigate foreign-based fraud schemes, the agency announced on Friday.

SEC Announces Key Crypto Task Force

According to a September 5 press release from the federal regulator, the Cross-Border Task Force will focus on fraud and market manipulation conducted by entities outside the U.S., including “pump-and-dump” and “ramp-and-dump” schemes.

The task force will also heighten its enforcement efforts against “gatekeepers” who assist these organizations in accessing U.S. capital markets, particularly with regard to underwriters and auditors.

Lastly, the Cross-Border Task Force will examine where governmental control and other factors related to companies in foreign jurisdictions play a role in securities law violations.

“We welcome companies from around the world seeking access to the U.S. capital markets,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “But we will not tolerate bad actors—whether companies, intermediaries, gatekeepers, or exploitative traders—that attempt to use international borders to frustrate and avoid U.S. investor protections.”

“This new task force will consolidate SEC investigative efforts and allow the SEC to use every available tool to combat transnational fraud,” Atkins added.

SEC, CFTC Team Up for Joint Roundtable

News of the SEC’s latest task force comes the same day that the federal regulator announced a joint roundtable with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for the end of September.

The two agencies are set to host the joint roundtable on September 29 in order to discuss “regulatory harmonization priorities.”

​​“It is a new day at the SEC and the CFTC, and today we begin a long-awaited journey to provide markets the clarity they deserve,” SEC Chairman Atkins and CFTC Acting Chairman Caroline D. Pham said in a statement.

“By working in lockstep, our two agencies can harness our nation’s unique regulatory structure into a source of strength for market participants, investors, and all Americans,” they added.

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