Article: The ‘Phantom Shares’ Menace

Article - Media

The ‘Phantom Shares’ Menace

John W. Welborn

Securities & Exchange,  24 April 2008

In 1985, the National Association of Securities Dealers (nasd) commissioned Irving M. Pollack, a securities law expert and former Securities and Exchange commissioner, to conduct a comprehensive review of short selling in nasdaq securities. The nasd sought to determine what, if any, additional short selling regulation was needed for the nasdaq market. The result was the now-famous “Pollack Study,” which described the short selling landscape of the day and made important recommendations regarding the disclosure, reporting, and settlement of short sales.

PDF (10 pages): The ‘Phantom Shares’ Menace

Article: Phantom shares

Article - Media

Phantom shares

Jonathan E. Johnson III

The Washington Times, 21 November 2007

In the late 1800s, American financier Daniel Drew refined the art of selling counterfeit shares. Drew’s biographer wrote, “There is no limit to the amount of blank shares a printing press can turn out. White paper is cheap… printer’s ink is also cheap.” Today, it is possible to counterfeit shares electronically — and it happens with such frightening regularity and impunity that Drew would be proud.

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