On Friday, Sweden's Fingerprint Cards shares soared after a fake press release was sent claiming Samsung Electronics would buy the tech company. The rapid increase in shares had prompted probe into suspected market manipulation, said a Reuters report.

The Swedish Economic Crime Authority said it would launch a preliminary probe. This was after the company news distributor Cision had published a statement saying Samsung would acquire Fingerprint Cards. According to the news, the transaction was valued USD650 million in cash.

Samsung and Fingerprint Cards, a company that develops and makes fingerprint scanners to access mobile phones and computers, denied that they had been in discussions and said the press release was a hoax, said a report from Reuters.

Fingerprint Cards shares rose more than 50% on the fake press release. This was before the Stockholm bourse halted trading.

CEO Johan Carlstrom of Fingerprint Cards criticized controls at Cision saying the news distribution company should have checked the information before publication.