Form 8-K

Form 8-K is the current report a US public company files to announce material events. Filing a false one, or filing on behalf of a company without authority, is a recurring manipulation vector.

compliance and practice · updated 2026-09-08

Where does form 8-k come up?

This term is used in the following manipulation techniques, each explained in full on its own page.

EDGAR filing fraud — EDGAR filing fraud is submitting a false document through the SEC's official filing system, exploiting the authority of the system of record to move a share price before the issuer can correct it.
Fake press releases — A fake press release is a fabricated corporate announcement issued through a wire service or a lookalike site, designed to move a share price for the few minutes before the company can deny it.

Enforcement actions involving these techniques

Action	Agency	Filed	Technique	Penalty	Status
SEC v. Muhammad Saad Shoukat and others (fake press releases, 2026)	SEC	2026-01-06	Fake Press Releases , Insider Trading	—	filed
SEC v. In Ovations Holdings, Inc. and Mark Goldberg (fake press releases, 2022)	SEC	2022-12-09	Fake Press Releases , Paid Stock Promotion	—	judgment
SEC v. Michael J. Starkweather and Andiamo Corporation (fake press releases, 2021)	SEC	2021-12-03	Fake Press Releases , Paid Stock Promotion	—	judgment
SEC v. Mark A. Miller (fake press releases, 2021)	SEC	2021-06-21	Fake Press Releases , Pump And Dump	—	unknown
SEC v. Mark E. Fisher, Esq. (fake press releases, 2018)	SEC	2018-11-02	Fake Press Releases , Pump And Dump	—	judgment

Terms that refer here

EDGAR

Back to the full glossary — 261 defined terms.

Form 8-K

Where does form 8-k come up?

Enforcement actions involving these techniques

See also

Terms that refer here