FBI Using Twitter to Crack Down on Securities Fraud [REPORT]

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In a sign of the changing times, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is starting to turn to Twitter to track stock fraud.

Two top FBI agents in charge of investigating a massive $2 trillion insider trading case told Reuters recently that they expect traders will increasingly find ways to "exploit" Twitter and other social networks. As a result, the FBI has started using these social networks to get tips on potential criminal activity related to stocks.

"I will tell you technology will play a huge part, social media, Twitter. Any kind of technology that is new and doesn't exist today, if there is any way to exploit it, these individuals will exploit it," said April Brooks, a special agent who runs the New York field office, in an interview with Reuters.

While it's unclear how much if any securities fraud currently occurs through Twitter, Reuters points out that more hedge funds and institutional investors are starting to use the social network as a distribution tool. Moreover, studies have shown that Twitter can be a powerful tool to predict trends in the market.