Pump & dumps are stock hypes, often illegal, but always ruthless and usually within the penny or microcap market. The schemes are performed to artificially raise the trading volume and often the price of a stock ("pumping") through a campaign of hype which may include misinformation and/or misrepresentation. This enables insiders or other large shareholders to sell their stock ("dumping"). Dupes purchase the stock and unwittingly create a façade of legitimacy. This can entice even more people to believe the hype and buy even more shares. Once the schemers have sold their shares, the pumping ends, and the share price plummets .