Fake or predatory conferences exist only to collect money and do not follow proper peer review. Here are the clear ways to identify them.
1. Abstract Accepted in 1 or 2 Days
- They accept your abstract very quickly
- No reviewer comments
- No revision request
Real conferences take weeks for review.
2. They Ask for Money Immediately
- Mail says: "Abstract accepted, pay registration fee"
- No proper review done
- Payment is their main focus
3. Fake Indexing Claims
- They claim: Scopus indexed, but not really
- They use logos of Scopus, IEEE, Springer without proof
- They do not give official link to index
4. No Reputed Publisher
- Not IEEE, ACM, Springer, Elsevier
- Unknown publisher name
- No past conference proceedings
5. Poor Website Quality
- Spelling and grammar mistakes
- No proper address
- No real university mentioned
- No organizing committee details
6. Very Broad Topics
- Accepts all fields: Engineering, Medicine, Arts, Science
- No specific research focus
- Real conferences are domain specific
7. Fake Organizing Committee
- No real professor names
- Random names without affiliation
- Photos copied from Google
8. Fake Venue or Address
- Venue not traceable on Google Maps
- Only online mode mentioned without details
- Hotel name without booking link
9. No Peer Review Process Explained
- No review timeline
- No reviewer criteria
- No revision cycle
10. Not Listed on Official Databases
- Not found in Scopus source list
- Not found in Web of Science
- Not found on IEEE / ACM website
How to Check a Conference is Real
- Search conference name in Scopus sources
- Check past proceedings
- Check publisher website
- Ask your professor or seniors
- Search "conference name + fake"
Summary
- Fast acceptance = danger
- Money first = danger
- Fake indexing = danger
- No publisher = danger
- Poor website = danger
If 3 or more of these signs match, it is most likely a fake conference.
Source: sureshtechlabs.com