Why does this sound so much like this to me ?

One of the main factors the Pecora Commission cited as a possible cause for the 1929 crash was the wide range of abusive practices on the part of banks and bank affiliates... these abusive practices included a variety of conflicts of interest such as the underwriting of unsound securities in order to pay off bad bank loans as well as "pool operations" to support the price of bank stocks...

http://dailypaul.com/63202/major-stock-market-crash-ahead-comparing-1929-to-2008

Or this.

“Wash sale” refers to trades between colluding parties at the same price to increase trading volume or create the appearance of activity, and interest, in a stock. A “corner” refers to a concentration of ownership, often intentional, in an issue that permits the shareholders to control the issue’s price. Typically, an investor or pool would purchase shares in an illiquid issue and, then, after driving the price up force short sellers to cover their positions at a loss.

A “pool” refers to any conspiracy using manipulative tactics to make a profit. Typically, a pool would accumulate a position, create the appearance of activity, manufacture favorable publicity, and, then, as the price rose, distribute its stock to the public.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Beginners-Guide-to-Financial-Markets-Trade-Clearing-and-Trade-Settlements