RE:RE:RE:Shorts having to pay the dividendWhile washtrading likely continues to occur, it has been illegal for a long time. Many firms have been fined for doing so, many have not. A similar but legal type of trade is done by market makers. We see this often with 100, 200, 300, 500 share trades etc. all day long. Generally speaking neither will influence short positions as the trades are closed out by the end of the day. Washtrading on a relatively small market cap share is not likely. Usually a large market cap firm is targeted as the payoff is far greater, worthy of the risk. Market makers, however, happilly trade wherever this is profit to be made, big or small.
I do agree that trading schemes are more and more sophisticatred so as to evade detection. It is difficult to know as the line from legal to illegal is often blurred!