Market manipulation is a deliberate attempt to interfere with the free and fair operation of the market and create artificial, false or misleading appearances with respect to the price of, or market for, a security , commodity or currency . Market manipulation is prohibited in the United States under Section 9(a)(2) ^{[ 1 ]} of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 , and in Australia under Section s 1041A of the Corporations Act 2001 . The Act defines market manipulation as transactions which create an artificial price or maintain an artificial price for a tradeable security. Market manipulation is also prohibited for wholesale electricity markets under Section 222 of the Federal Power Act ^{[ 2 ]} and wholesale natural gas markets under Section 4A of the Natural Gas Act . ^{[ 3 ]}