Why Do Fake Conferences Exist?

They exploit the "publish or perish" pressure on researchers, especially early-career academics and students, who need conference presentations and publications for their CVs, graduation requirements, or promotions. Organizers profit by charging high registration fees for a low-quality event. 

How to Spot a Fake Conference (Red Flags )

Be very cautious if you see these warning signs:

• Aggressive Spam Emails: You receive unsolicited, overly flattering emails inviting you to speak or submit, often outside your area of expertise.

• Vague and Overly Broad Scope: The conference claims to cover dozens of unrelated fields (e.g., "International Conference on Engineering, Medicine, and Social Sciences").

• Unprofessional Website: The website has typos, grammatical errors, broken links, or stock photos that don't match the supposed location.

• Fake or Unverifiable Committee: The listed organizers or keynote speakers are not recognized experts, cannot be easily verified, or sometimes aren't even aware their names are being used.

• Promises of Rapid Acceptance/Publication: They guarantee acceptance or publication within days or a couple of weeks, suggesting no real peer review is happening.

• Hidden or Unclear Fees: Registration fees are hard to find or only appear after submission.

• Lack of History or Reputable Sponsor: The conference has no track record from previous years or is not sponsored by a recognized university or professional society (like IEEE, ACM, etc.).

• Misleading Indexing Claims: They make vague promises about indexing in Scopus, EI Compendex, or Web of Science ("will be submitted to...") but provide no proof from past events.

Risks of Participating

Getting involved with a fake conference can harm your career:

• Wasted Money: High registration fees with no return on investment.

• Damaged Reputation: Association with a predatory event looks bad on your CV.

• Low-Quality Publication: Your paper appears in non-indexed, low-visibility proceedings, offering little academic value.

How to Verify a Conference

Before submitting or registering:

1. Check Indexing: Search Scopus, EI Compendex, or Web of Science for past proceedings of the same conference series.

2. Ask Colleagues: Consult your supervisor, librarian, or senior researchers. They often know the reputable events in your field.

3. Check Sponsorship: Verify if the claimed university or society sponsor is legitimate.