  Accretion is a common phenomenon associated with any astrophysical compact
object, which is best described by plasma, a state of matter composed of
electrons and heavy ions. In this paper, we analyze the linear dynamics of
electromagnetic (EM) fields propagating through the accreting plasma around a
static and spherically symmetric horizon-less, exotic compact object (ECO). The
general equations governing the propagation of EM waves in such a background
exhibits quasi-bound states, with a characteristic oscillation around the BH
values, for both the axial and the polar modes, as well as for homogeneous and
inhomogeneous plasma distributions. The amplitude of these oscillations depend
on the non-zero reflectivity of the surface of the compact object, while the
oscillation length depends on its compactness. This results into slower decay
of the quasi-bound states with time for certain parameter space of the plasma
frequency, compared to BHs, making these ECOs more prone to instabilities.
