“An investigation has shown that the company followed its routines and was subjected to a deliberate fraud attempt,” business wire service Cision, the firm responsible for publishing the press release, said in a statement on Friday.

Fingerprint Cards, a Gothenburg-based biometric technology firm, issued a denial on its homepage on Friday that it had been acquired by the Korean electronics giant.

“The news in today’s media that Fingerprint Cards AB has been acquired by Samsung is incorrect… What has happened will be reported to the police and to the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority,” the firm wrote.

The matter is now being handled by the Swedish Economic Crimes Authority (Ekobrottsmyndigheten) which has opened a preliminary investigation into aggravated fraud.

Trading in the company’s stock was halted as soon as the abnormal share fluctuations were detected on Friday morning and all trades completed between 10.17am and 10.34 have been nullified.

Fingerprint Cards’ stock has been one of the Stockholm exchange’s strongest performers since the turn of the year, having climbed over 320 percent since January 1st.

The latest Apple Iphone incorporates the firm’s fingerprint sensor.

All trades from 10.17am have also been nullified in sector colleague Precise Biometrics, which also climbed steeply on Friday.

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