Can you spot a fake conference? It seems many researchers can’t. So here are 9 ways to spot a fake.

Summary

1. The conference has an overly ambitious title
2. The technical programme is broad. Very broad!
3. The language on the conference website is… off
4. Renowned organisations are sponsoring a low-profile conference
5. The organisers’ contact details are missing, or aren’t quite right
6. Another conference with a suspiciously similar name already exists
7. The conference or its organisers have known associates
8. The organisers are charging higher-than-normal fees
9. The conference is unusually frequent