Paper mill

Slang term from a company that exists only on paper, or doesn't trade nearly as much as its records would indicate. Also seen as paper shop. In common slang, the two terms are equivalent. In shadowtalk, a paper mill is likely to be a front for black-market trading or the mafia, while a paper shop is more often believed to be a government-run shell used to give legitimacy to the legends of secret service agents or black bag budgets.