The Central Bank of Russia reported that it has established facts of market manipulation in on-exchange trading on the Moscow Exchange involving securities of multiple issuers, carried out through coordinated activity that used information disseminated via Telegram channels. It issued binding orders requiring the individuals involved to cease and desist from similar violations and suspended transactions on their trading accounts, while referring the investigation materials to law enforcement authorities. The transactions were conducted on personal accounts of individuals connected with PFL Advisors, which administered the Telegram channels RynkiDengiVlast | RDV (MarketsMoneyPower), Signaly RCB (Signals of the Russian Securities Market) and Volk s Mosbirzhi (Wolf from the Moscow Exchange). The Bank of Russia assessed that disseminating information via these channels encouraged market participants to buy or sell financial instruments as part of a coordinated effort to influence current market prices and generate income from the group’s transactions, and classified the conduct as market manipulation under Clause 2 of Part 1 of Article 5 of Federal Law No. 224-FZ.
Central Bank of Russia 2026-04-13
Central Bank of Russia finds Moscow Exchange market manipulation linked to PFL Advisors Telegram channels and suspends individuals’ trading accounts
The Central Bank of Russia identified market manipulation on the Moscow Exchange involving coordinated trading in multiple issuers’ securities, driven by signals disseminated via several Telegram channels linked to PFL Advisors. It issued binding cease-and-desist orders, suspended transactions on the individuals’ trading accounts, and referred the case to law enforcement, classifying the conduct as market manipulation under Clause 2 of Part 1 of Article 5 of Federal Law No. 224-FZ.