Predatory conferences are growing like topsy, defrauding both academics and the universities who pay for their conference attendance. Junior academics and those in young universities are particularly prone to this fraud. After two colleagues were duped by the International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, I submitted a nonsense abstract and had it accepted in a few days.

1. HOW GOING TO
PREDATORY
CONFERENCES WORKS
STEPS 1-6

2. STEP 1
• Find a predatory conference. It will be run by an organization or association with
no scientific affiliation, have no contact telephone or address, accept a wide range
of papers and (usually) be based in an expensive hotel somewhere nice to go. I
chose the International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology in
Dallas, 25-28 June 2018 (http://www.aasci.org/conference/env/2018/index.html).
• It is a popular conference title. There is also an International Conference on
Environmental Science and Technology in Prague, 20-22 June
(http://www.icest.org/) and Kiev 19-23 September (https://www.icoest.eu) and a
nice one in Rhodes in September 2019 (https://cest2019.gnest.org).

3. STEP 2
• Quickly cook up an abstract – no prior knowledge needed.
• I Googled ‘Environment Management and Policy’ and cut and paste the ‘About
Us’ section from a commercial environment company.
• I deleted the company’s name and added a few bogus references. The abstract is
clearly rubbish and makes no reference to any research at all.
• It took 3-4 minutes from start to finish.

4. STEP 3
• On 15 June, I emailed the abstract to the International Conference on
Environment Science and Technology.

6. STEP 4
• On 20 June, I received an acceptance letter / letter of invitation for the
International Conference on Environment Science and Technology, which starts
on 25 June in Dallas, USA.
• The conference is organized by the impressive sounding American Academy of
Sciences (not the National Academy of Sciences or the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences). The American Academy of Sciences exists only on its own website
(http://www.aasci.org).

8. STEP 5
• I apply to my university for US$865 registration fee, flights to/from Dallas, a week
in the Hilton Houston North Hotel and the optional tour of NASA.
• US$5,000 should just about cover it.

9. STEP 6
• I add ‘Environment Policy and Management’, International Conference on
Environmental Science and Technology, Dallas, 25-29 June 2018 to my CV and
apply for promotion.