Market Manipulation
Market manipulation is when someone artificially affects the supply or demand for a security (for example, causing stock prices to rise or to fall dramatically).

Market manipulation may involve techniques including:

Spreading false or misleading information about a company;

Engaging in a series of transactions to make a security appear more actively traded; and

Rigging quotes, prices, or trades to make it look like there is more or less demand for a security than is the case.

https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investi...nipulation