In today's digital world, the
convenience of attending academic conferences online or internationally is an
attractive opportunity for many researchers and professionals. However, along with
this growing trend comes the rise of online conference scams. These scams often
prey on unsuspecting academics, professionals, and students, tricking them into
paying hefty registration fees for events that never materialize.
My Experience
Recently, I came across what
seemed to be an exciting opportunity an International Conference in Goa.
Being a Goan I decided to take advantage of it. As I visited the conference's website,
everything looked professional and genuine at first glance. The website had a
well-structured event schedule, listing various speakers and topics. Links
to genuine publications supposedly affiliated with the conference. A photo
gallery of previous conferences, with images of attendees and key speakers.
Videos of past conferences, even posted on YouTube, featuring a banner
covered in multiple logos of reputed institutions. A list of other
upcoming international conferences across the world, making it look like a
global initiative. The website was convincing, and it appeared as if this was a
golden opportunity. But something didn’t feel quite right, and upon further
research, I found several red flags that ultimately revealed the event
to be a scam.
How did I identify it as fake?
2. All the YouTube videos didn’t have any comments. Only 1 or 2 which said ‘thieves’ and ‘criminals’ indicating that the account was deleting all the comments.
3. The videos had banners put up behind the speakers, and these banners had about 15 different logos of organisations, indicating that if one organisation was understood to be fake and reported, the other organisation could set up the website and use the same videos.
How to Identify Fake
Conferences:
To help you avoid falling into
the same trap, here are some signs that can help you identify potential fake
conferences:
1. Check
the Organizing Body: Ensure that the conference is
hosted by a well-known university, organization, or academic society.
Legitimate conferences are often associated with established academic bodies.
2. Look for Keynote Speakers:
- Recognized Experts: Confirm that the keynote
speakers are well-known and respected researchers in your field.
- Fake Profiles: Some fake conferences list
fake or unfamiliar names. Search for these individuals to ensure their
authenticity.
- Presence in Multiple Conferences: If the
same board members appear in many conferences (especially suspicious
ones), it could be a sign of a fake event.
3. Review Submission and
Publication Process:
- Peer Review Process: Legitimate conferences
have a robust peer-review process. If the process is not clearly defined
or seems too lenient (e.g., guaranteed acceptance), it might be fake.
- Rapid Acceptance: Fake conferences often
have unrealistically fast submission-to-acceptance timelines.
4. Verify Conference
Proceedings:
- Publication in Trusted Outlets: Legitimate
conferences publish their proceedings in recognized journals or conference
series. Confirm where past conference papers are published.
- Check for Consistency: Investigate the
quality and credibility of the publications. Fake conferences might have
poor-quality or nonexistent proceedings.
5. Registration Fees:
- Reasonable Fees: While most conferences
charge a registration fee, fake conferences may charge exorbitant amounts
or pressure attendees to pay quickly.
- Hidden Fees: Be wary of conferences that add
unexpected fees after initial registration.
6. Search for the Conference
on “Fake Conference” Lists:
- Check Blacklists: There are known lists of
predatory or fake conferences (e.g., Beall’s List for predatory journals
and conferences).
What You Can Do: Tips for
Avoiding Conference Scams
- Research the Conference: Check the
conference history, organizers, and their academic credentials.
- Verify the Journal Affiliations: Ensure that
any journals listed as affiliated with the conference are legitimate and
indexed in trusted databases like Scopus, PubMed, or Web of Science.
- Use Trusted Conference Lists: Look for
conferences listed on reliable websites like IEEE Xplore, Springer, or
Elsevier. Avoid unknown, unverified lists.
- Consult Your Peers: If you’re unsure, ask
your colleagues or mentors whether they’ve heard of the conference before
registering.
- Check for Peer Reviews: Look for reviews and
discussions about the conference on academic forums or platforms like
ResearchGate.
