Avoid scam invitations from predatory conferences and journals
If you are a researcher or academic, you may have noticed an increase in pesky emails and phone calls trying to lure you into submitting a paper to a shady journal or attending sketchy conferences. You know what we’re talking about – the ones that seem too good to be true? Well, turns out, they usually are!
What’s happened?
Australian universities and research institutions are currently facing a new spike in personalised phishing attacks and general spam. These deceptive tactics masquerade as communication from prestigious figures like journalists from reputable news outlets. They’re cunningly crafted with tailored messages, often tying into current geopolitical events, aiming to instil urgency and relevance.
Adding to the mix, researchers and academics are bombarded with spam emails and calls, enticing them to submit papers to dubious journals or attend conferences organised by unknown entities. Usually, these unsolicited messages are nothing but spam and should be swiftly deleted.
How do these scams work?
Via email
If in doubt, spam email can be deleted or marked as junk. These types often want you to sign up by clicking on a link. Delete spam emails. Avoid opening these emails and clicking on the links within them. Don’t buy anything from a spammer.
Did you know you can block senders of spam? Just right-click on the email, hover on the word ‘Junk’ in the drop-down list and then select Block Sender.
Via phone
If in doubt, don’t pick up the phone. Most people don’t enjoy answering unexpected phone calls, and it actually works in your favour. By simply letting the call go to voicemail, you can avoid a lot of spam callers. If they do decide to leave a message, it gives you time to think about whether or not it’s legitimate. Spam callers often rely on making you feel their directions are urgent and following them now is critical to staving off a crisis. Taking a moment to listen to your messages before choosing whether to call back allows you time to breathe and independently verify the nature of the call.
Did you know the library offers great resources to help you evaluate the quality of journals and conferences?
Publishing red flags
Examples of red flags:
- Never heard of the journal, or it has a title which can be easily confused with another journal
- Never heard of the publisher, or it has no address or contact information on its website
- Asking for a fee to expedite review
- Claims are not backed up in other sources (e.g. database indexing claims, etc.)
- Makes nonsense claims (e.g. We’re indexed in Google Scholar, IC Index Value, etc.)
- Sends out unsolicited emails calling for papers
How do I stay safe?
- Keep your email address private (where possible). Don’t store it in plain text on a blog or website, and only give it to trusted sources.
- Verify by researching (e.g. Google, Deakin Library) the name and information about the journal and check for blogs about complaints and unethical behaviour.
- Ask a colleague in your field (or the Assoc Head of Research) about whether they have heard of the journal or conference, and whether it’s reputable or not.
- Use filters. Most email clients allow you to adjust filters based on content to block spam.
- Unsubscribe to unwanted email lists.
- Hang up. As soon as you suspect the phone call is a phishing call, simply hang up and block the number (iOS andAndroid).
Want to learn more?
There are lots of resources on the Cyber Security Blog, Deakin Hub and Library websites.
- Think. Check. Submit. and other publishing resources are available from Deakin’s Library website.
- Your phishing call reporting guide and similar resources are available from the Cyber Security Blog.
- The latest cyber security alerts for Deakin staff are available on DeakinHub.