RE:Spearmint does the claim dance In a typical "pump and dump", you receive an e-mail promoting an incredible deal on a stock described as a once-in-a-lifetime investment. What you don’t know is that the person or company touting the stock owns a large amount of it. As more and more investors buy shares, the value skyrockets. Once the price hits a peak, the scam artist sells their shares and the value of the stock plummets. You’re left holding worthless shares.