Not OP, but a broker wouldn't even need a front-running bot. If they're the intermediary (A book) then they can just apply markups to the quotes from their maker. If they're the maker (B book), they're the ones quoting the prices. Front-running is moot in either case.
I've heard lots of rumors and wild conspiracy theories about things like this but a lot of it is impractical if not impossible using industry standard platforms and software. I can't even imagine a broker manipulating the quote feed for thousands or tens of thousands of other traders just to hit one guy's stop but that doesn't stop people from being paranoid. Many traders worry about this so much that they won't use stops.
Things that are commonly done which could be described that way include delaying orders, changing spreads, and reducing account leverage. There are legitimate purposes for doing these things but the potential for abuse is certainly there. A quick Google for "virtual dealer plugin" will tell you more if you're interested.
I've also heard that some brokers will supposedly induce "artificial" slippage but to me that seems like a lot of effort and risk for very little reward unless it's done on a massive scale.
I've heard lots of rumors and wild conspiracy theories about things like this but a lot of it is impractical if not impossible using industry standard platforms and software. I can't even imagine a broker manipulating the quote feed for thousands or tens of thousands of other traders just to hit one guy's stop but that doesn't stop people from being paranoid. Many traders worry about this so much that they won't use stops.
Things that are commonly done which could be described that way include delaying orders, changing spreads, and reducing account leverage. There are legitimate purposes for doing these things but the potential for abuse is certainly there. A quick Google for "virtual dealer plugin" will tell you more if you're interested.
I've also heard that some brokers will supposedly induce "artificial" slippage but to me that seems like a lot of effort and risk for very little reward unless it's done on a massive scale.