Predatory or fake congresses are fraudulent academic conferences that exploit researchers by charging high fees for participation while providing little to no academic value. They are often organized by predatory publishers or for-profit entities that prioritize financial gain over genuine scholarly exchange.

The best defence against the predators is common sense, tempered with a healthy dose of caution. The following criteria might help to identify predatory events, yet one should not put too much weight on a single criterion. But if you answer "yes" to the majority of the following characteristics, there is an excellent chance that you've identified a true predator.
1. Key Features of Predatory Congresses
- Low or No Peer Review: Papers are often accepted with little to no scrutiny, reducing academic credibility.
- Aggressive Invitations: Researchers receive frequent emails inviting them to participate, often unrelated to their field of expertise.
- High Fees: They charge excessive registration fees, sometimes requiring additional payments for certificates, publications, or presentations.
- Bogus Indexing Claims: They falsely claim to be indexed in reputable databases like Scopus, Web of Science, or IEEE Xplore.
- Fake or Unknown Organizers: The event is often hosted by unknown or non-academic entities, and the listed organizers may have little or no verifiable academic background.
- Conference Clustering: They may organize multiple unrelated conferences at the same venue on the same dates.
- Poor Quality of Presentations: The quality of research presented is often low, with minimal participation from established scholars.
2. Why Researchers Fall for Them- Pressure to Publish: Some researchers, especially early-career academics, are under pressure to present at international conferences for career advancement.
- Lack of Awareness: Some researchers are unaware of the warning signs of predatory events.
- Impressive But Fake Credentials: These conferences may list fake keynote speakers, fabricated impact factors, or non-existent partnerships with prestigious institutions.
3. How to Identify and Avoid Predatory Conferences- Check the Title of the Conference: “International” and “global” are two buzzwords used by predatory conference organisers. Also an old favourite of fake conferences is to give their event a name that’s a near-match with an established and respected conference.
- Check the Organizing Body: Verify the reputation of the hosting institution or publisher. Double-check the contact details are legit. If it takes you to long to find these details, it’s time to get suspicious.
- Check the Conference Location: Are more than one conference taking place the same day at the same location? That probably means that all these conferences are together in the same room.
- Look for Independent Reviews: Search for previous attendees' experiences or complaints.
- Analyze the Website: Poorly designed sites, generic descriptions, and suspiciously broad conference themes, are red flags.
- Check Speaker Lineup: See if keynote speakers have legitimate academic backgrounds.
- Verify Indexing and Partnerships: Confirm if their claims about Scopus/Web of Science indexing are legitimate.
- Consult Reliable Lists: Is the conference listed on a source (e.g. a magazine, journal, blog, website, or sector-specific source) that you trust? Use resources like the Think. Check. Attend. campaign or lists of predatory publishers (like those compiled by Jeffrey Beall, see below).
It has been reported, that the number of predatory conferences meanwhile
outnumbers official events organized by legitimate scholarly
associations and societies. Unfortunately, because of legal issues, there
is no complete list of predatory conferences available. In order to
find an official event, you should consult the websites of legitimate
scholarly organizations
Conference announcements by scholarly organizations:
The following resources should assist you in finding reputable analytical chemistry conferences organized by scholarly organizations:
EVISA is listing only events that at least have a session or some
presentations related to trace element analysis or elemental speciation
analysis. We only include events that are organized by academic entities
or organizers having a high reputation.
The ACS provides a detailed calendar of conferences, meetings, and webinars related to various chemistry disciplines, including analytical chemistry.
AMS is listing its events around mass spectrometry.
The DGMS, Germany's Society for Mass Spectrometry lists events organized by the society.
EuChemS provides information on conferences organized by its Division of Analytical Chemistry.
The EGU provides a list of meetings, workshops, and conferences
that may be of general interest to the geoscience community
The GDCh, Germany's chemical society, lists conferences and events organized by its Analytical Chemistry Division.
The RSC's Analytical Science Community offers a list of upcoming events and conferences pertinent to analytical chemistry.
SETAC holds meetings and workshops in person and virtually around the globe
Tools for selecting a valuable conference:
While comprehensive and definitive lists of predatory conferences are challenging to maintain due to the evolving nature of these deceptive practices, several tools and compilations can assist in evaluating the legitimacy of conferences. If you intend to participate in an event not listed in EVISA's Agenda you might consult the following resources:
Think. Check. Attend.This initiative provides a checklist to help researchers assess the credibility of conferences. By following their guidelines, you can make informed decisions about which conferences to attend.
guides.library.jhu.edu
Beall's List of Potential Predatory PublishersOriginally compiled by librarian Jeffrey Beall, this list includes publishers known for predatory practices, some of which organize conferences. While primarily focused on journals, it can offer insights into publishers that may also host questionable conferences.
Kscien Organisation's List of Predatory ConferencesMaintained by the Kscien Organisation, this curated list helps researchers identify and avoid predatory conferences by providing detailed information about events exhibiting questionable characteristics.
TEQSA's "Predatory Conferences: A to Z Elements"The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) offers a PDF document outlining common features of reputable conferences and provides guidance on identifying predatory ones.
Salisbury University Library GuidesSeveral university libraries have created guides to help researchers recognize and avoid predatory conferences. For example, the Salisbury University Library provides insights into the nature of predatory conferences and offers tips on how to identify them.
Wikipedia: Predatory conferenceWikipedia maintains entries on known predatory conference organizers, such as the
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET), the
OMICS Publishing Group, or
BIT Life Science (or BIT Congress Inc., BIT Group Global Ltd), providing background information and reported practices.
Old Dominion University: "Where (and Where Not) to Publish Your Work" GuideThis guide offers a list of questionable conferences and advises researchers on how to avoid predatory publishers and conferences.
The goal of this guide is to provide a clear overview of the topics of
predatory journals and questionable conferences and advice on how to
avoid them.
WASET (World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology) advertises over 300,000 conferences a year, approximately 900 every day. On one particular day it advertised 8,894 conferences
In case that you are interested in the whole story of predatory publishers, fake conferences and the business behind it, you may watch this presentation given at the DEF CON 26:
Related EVISA News (newest first)
last time modified: February 18, 2025