Would IEEE really sponsor a fake scientific conference?
The email was typical fake-scientific-conference-in-China spam: "we courteously invite you to deliver a Plenary Speech" as a "leading authority" in a field where I have no expertise. I've gotten several of these from "BIT Life Sciences."
This time, though, IEEE, a (formerly?) respectable engineering organization, was listed as a sponsor. I assumed the scam was using IEEE's name without permission, but the "6th International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering " is actually listed on the IEEE web site. Apparently, IEEE has been involved in many fake conferences, which have, for example, accepted papers that are computer-generated garbage. Sad.
Not all conferences in China are fake -- I went to one a few years ago that was excellent, and am scheduled to speak at another -- and fake conferences are presumably held in other countries as well. China does seem to be afflicted with more than its share, though. Maybe it's harder to sue there, or something.
UPDATE -- someone left a comment with links to a blog suggesting that IEEE sponsors many fake conferences. Unfortunately, I had to delete the comment, because it linked to a blog attributing my concerns to "The University of Minnesota." The views presented here are my own, and not official positions of the university.
Comments
Don't jump to the conclusion so quickly that China seems to be afflicted with more than its share. The "problem" is caused by few people.
BIT Life Sciences is a private company and it is not associated to any scientific organization or research institute in China. It is doing the business! If you don't like it, set up your spam filter to get rid of its e-mails.
I did a quick search of Chinese web pages and found no negative comments with BIT Life Science. Instead, SCIRP is currently at the center of controversy. SCIRP publishes many online-only journals and also organizes conferences (some with IEEE involved!). If you look at its website (www.scirp.org), you will find out that it is a company registered in the US. But physically it is located in China. If they publish printed journal articles without registration in China, it would be certainly illegible. However, for online publication, and especially when a foreign company is involved, there are some complexities in term of regulation.
Posted by: Xue-Xian Zhang | July 29, 2011 9:59 PM
Dr. Zhang,
Thanks for your comments. All of the inappropriate (i.e., random) speaking invitations I've gotten recently have been for meetings in China. But, as you suggest, none of them have been sponsored by Chinese research institutes. So these scams don't reflect badly on legitimate Chinese scientists or their institutions.
Posted by: Ford | August 1, 2011 9:18 PM
I am surprised that so many scientist are obsessed with the number of publications, maybe those organizations took advantage of this to make illegal money!
Posted by: Baoqing Ding | August 2, 2011 3:15 AM
A conference is an awfully weird thing to fake. Very few people actually pay attention to those!
Posted by: mark | September 19, 2011 8:24 AM
Yes I don't know how you can fake a conference.
Posted by: Engineering University | October 20, 2011 5:21 AM
Yes, IEEE sponsors several conferences. Some of them (with tha name and the logo of IEEE in the book) are really fake. These IEEE conferences have published many SCIgen Fake papers!!!
Posted by: Joto | November 30, 2011 11:02 AM
The IEEE did not give the registration back to a disabled person. Read more:
http://www.qualityofconferences.com/2011/12/ieee-refused-to-give-money-back-in.html
Posted by: Anonymous | December 23, 2011 11:33 AM
I do not understand what "fake conference" could mean. Papers are submitted, and actually presented. Then there is an hefty amount of money to pay to have the thing published in Xplore.
To me, that is not fake. IEEE is just proven to be a pathetic place that lives on its remaining reputation to get some dough, but this is not a rip-off. At most it is just largely below academic standards.
Posted by: Me | February 21, 2012 11:36 PM
I do not agree with the previous commentor.
One more example is the IEEE fake conference
http://www.icmtconf.org/2012/
They claim that they have:
"Review duration: 15-20 days after submission"
Check it http://www.icmtconf.org/2012/
How can a serious conference with hundred of papers to make review of all these papers within 15 days?
Our conclusion that seems to be the standard for the majority of IEEE is:
The IEEE conferences do not have any review. They work only for money
Google: IEEE fake papers
or IEEE Junk Conferences or IEEE bogus or IEEE scam
Posted by: Cronier | February 24, 2012 1:07 PM
Fake IEEE MED conferences:
These conferences are organized by the "Mediterranean Control Association"
However, this "Association" is a Company based in USA by a Greek Professor.
We sent them two papers describing the equipment of our laboratory.
We copied the manual of Inverted Pendulum and we got the acceptance letter after
some days. So, for sure include in your fake conferences list the
Fake IEEE MED conferences
Posted by: Albert Chen | December 4, 2012 9:07 AM
All the IEEE Conferences (organized by IEEE itselfor sponsored or co-sponsored or technically cosponsored by IEEE) are fake, junk, garbage, bogus, scam conferences.
Some of these conferences run only in the 1st or the 1st and 2nd day only and then they close. Obviously they try to save money from their hotel financial obligations.
IEEE, ACM, ASME and SIAM Conferences evaluate only the Abstract of the papers, even for the conferences that they claim evaluation on the full text.
So, IEEE, ACM, ASME, SIAM, WORLDCOMP etc...
have numerous times accepted and published SCIgen (automatically generated texts). Only for the IEEE, the Central Administration of IEEE found 1100 Conferences with fake, SCIgen papers.
Try yourself googling:
IEEE bogus
ASME bogus
SIAM bogus
ACM bogus
or visit
http://fakeconferences.blogspot.gr/2012/04/4-new-denouncements-for-fake-scam-ieee.html
Posted by: Zepil | January 18, 2013 5:52 AM