Module 3 · DOM Behaviors
Spoofing & Real-vs-Fake Walls
The decisive test: does the wall actually trade?
In this lesson you'll
- Define spoofing (and its illegality)
- Tell a real wall from a fake one
- Use the DOM↔tape cross-check
A “wall” is an outlier-sized resting order. The hard part is telling real from fake:
- Likely real: the wall stays static or grows as price approaches, and the tape shows trades actually executing against it (it gets hit and holds — confirmed by absorption).
- Likely fake (spoof): it appears and disappears rapidly, is pulled just before price reaches it, and never prints on the tape.
Key takeaways
- A wall = an outlier-sized resting order; real vs fake is the hard part.
- Real: stays/grows and is traded into (the tape prints against it).
- Fake (spoof): appears, then pulls before being hit, with no trades on it.
- Decisive test: cross-check the DOM against the tape. Spoofing is illegal.
Check your understanding
Pick an answer to reveal instant feedback. Answer every question to complete the lesson.
Why that's off: Real resistance gets traded into and holds; this disappeared.
Why that's off: Absorption requires the wall to be hit and hold.
Why that's off: An iceberg trades heavily; a spoof never trades.
A wall that vanishes untouched (no tape prints) is a likely spoof — placed to deceive and cancelled before execution. Real liquidity gets traded into.
Why that's off: Size is exactly what a spoof fakes.
Why that's off: Color denotes side, not authenticity.
Why that's off: Time doesn't determine if a wall is genuine.
Size alone can be spoofed. The decisive test is the tape: a wall that prints trades against it while surviving is real; one that vanishes untouched was never liquidity.
Educational content only. Nothing here is financial or trading advice. Order-flow and options patterns shift probabilities; they never guarantee outcomes.