Among the possible insider traders in CNBC’s fake portfolio challenge are an investment manager (with an MBA—from Stanford!), a radiology resident in Detroit (shocker) and a retired chemical engineer from Bollingbrook, Ill. CNBC said yesterday that in order to drum up interest in the network beyond the comings and goings of man meat Charlie Gasparino, it would be looking into unusual trading in the simulated contest. Timothy Sykes, “hedge fund manager and blogger,” told the LA Times yesterday, "There are always going to be cheaters. You can try your best to make it fair for everyone, but sometimes a few people are going to try to find ways around it,” which may or may not explain how he turned $13,000 into a pre-tax sum of just over $2 million. Concidentally, CNBC just happens to be airing a six-episode series next month called “American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels, and Scandals.” The b-roll of the day-trading (with not-real money) cheaters should be incredible.

Earlier: CNBC: THIS Is What We Choose To Take A Stand On

CNBC probes stock-game claims [LA Times]