Teachers, researchers duped by fake conferences run from India

The titles of the conferences are well-thought-out and timely. The names of the organizing bodies are also attractive. The websites of these organizations are well-designed and professional, making it easy for anyone to believe that they are legitimate international research institutions or organizations. However, in reality, these sites are traps set by an organized fraud network. Every year, they list nearly a hundred conferences on their websites, collecting conference fees and defrauding participants out of hundreds of dollars. This organized group operates through almost 20 different websites under various names. According to Views Bangladesh's investigation, the group is being run from India. Members of this scam network are spread across several countries. The investigation also found evidence that a Bangladeshi citizen is involved with this fraudulent group. One of the scammers' websites, “Sciencesociety.co”has the profile of a Bangladeshi individual who works as a faculty member at a private university.

How the Investigation Began:
A university teacher from Bangladesh, who wished to remain anonymous, was deceived through this network. In early 2024, he registered and paid the fee to participate in a science conference organized by “Sciencesociety.co” The website listed the conference location as Bangkok, Thailand. However, ten days before the event, he received an email from “Sciencesociety.co” stating that the conference would now be held on a virtual platform. Upon joining the virtual platform, his suspicions grew, and he realized that it was not an international conference, but rather a scam. Based on the initial information provided by the teacher who fell victim to the fraud, Views Bangladesh initiated the investigation.

Signs of Fraud from the Conference Registration Form:
Typically, to register for a conference organized by an internationally recognized institution, an online form is completed and submitted. After verifying the form’s details, a confirmation email with a registration number is sent by the organizing body, along with a payment link for the fee. However, when attempting to fill out the registration form on this fraudulent website, it was evident from the outset that the process was different. The first step was to select the category for participation (Paper Submission, Listener, In-Person, or Virtual), with the corresponding fee listed beside each option. Once the category was selected, the next step was to proceed to the payment option. After making the payment, the participant received an email with a payment receipt confirming the transaction. This payment option itself raised suspicions about the authenticity of the organization and the website, suggesting that it was part of an organized scam.

Following this, the fraud group’s website required the participant to download a form according to the selected category. The form required the transaction ID from the payment receipt to be entered, signed, and scanned, and then sent via email or WhatsApp to them. After several follow-up communications, nearly seven days later, an invitation letter was received, which had extremely poor language construction and formatting, further confirming the fraudulent nature of the event.

Second Chapter of Deception:
Once you make the payment, you have fallen into their trap, and there is no way to recover from this fraud. However, to fully understand the deception, the investigation must go deeper. In the second phase, you will receive an email exactly 10 days before the scheduled conference date, stating: "For unforeseen reasons, the total conference has shifted to a virtual platform." The email will provide a Zoom link to join the conference.

On the scheduled day, when you join the conference through Zoom, it was found that only 59 participants have joined. The main topic was "Computer Science, Mechatronics, and Information Technology," but the person who presented the keynote paper mainly spoke about how to teach new technologies, mathematical equations, and the latest topics in Information Technology in the classroom. The presenter did not address the core subject matter. His English pronunciation was very weak. Dr. Nafuz Mafarja, a Malaysian citizen, later identified himself on the University of Malaya's webpage. His profile listed him as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education, but he was not an expert in the core subject matter. Additionally, 17 other individuals presented their research papers, covering topics ranging from agricultural farms to mathematical subjects. During the virtual conference, several participants questioned the relevance and quality of the conference in relation to the main topic. At this point, the moderator, Anish Ritvik, asked them not to discuss the matter at that time and muted their microphones.

Each keynote paper presented at the conference was supposed to be sent to participants via email later, but it was never provided. Additionally, those who paid the fee to participate in the in-person category were told they would receive several souvenirs with the so-called Science Society’s logo, but none of these items were sent afterward. When an email was sent to the Science Society asking about this, they responded by sending a certificate congratulating the participant for attending. The certificate bore the name and signature of Dr. Md. Monwarul Haque, listed as a member of the Advisory Board. Further investigation revealed that Dr. Monwarul Haque’s name was listed on the website of the private Far East International University as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Public Health. His name was also listed at the German University of Bangladesh as an Associate Member in the Department of Public Health. When contacted over phone, Dr. Monwarul Haque told Views Bangladesh that he had been contacted by an organization called the Science Society long ago but had no further relationship or knowledge of the organization. When asked about his name and signature on the Science Society’s certificate, he stated that he had no knowledge of it. After relaying his statement to the Science Society via email, they claimed that Dr. Monwarul Haque’s consent had been obtained to use his name and that they had proof of it.

Fraud Regarding the Venue:
During registration, the main venue of the conference was shown to be The Season Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand. However, when a visit was made to the hotel to inquire, the reception informed that they were in a rather embarrassing situation due to this so-called organization. Many people had been contacting them over phone or in person, inquiring about various conferences at different times of the year. However, the hotel management clarified that neither the Science Society nor any such organization had ever made any booking or had any discussions with them.

Further investigation revealed that, on the same date (December 12, 2024), the Science Society’s website listed the venue for an “International Conference on Pediatric Liver Transplantation” as The Westin Hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh. But upon checking with The Westin, it was found that there was no such conference booking. The hotel staff confirmed that they couldn’t find any booking under the name of the Science Society or any similar organization.

Even on February 13, 2025, the Science Society claimed to be hosting an "International Conference on Italian and European Studies," but once again, when inquiring with The Westin, it was confirmed that no such booking existed.

More Evidence of International Fraud:
According to ResearchGate, one of the world’s most well-known research platforms, it has been found that a well-organized group is running fraudulent operations by creating websites under the names of nearly 20 institutions with attractive names. These include websites such as “researchsociety.co” “researchfora.net” “itar.in” “internationalconferencealerts.com” “conferencealerts.co.in” “allconferencealert.net” “/conferencenext.com” “after.org.in” “conferencenext.com” “iiter.org”, “asar.net.in”, “iarfconference.com.”

There are nearly 20 such sites. Technical investigation reveals that the main tools used for this fraud are the sites such as “internationalconferencealerts.com” and “allconferencealert.net”. These websites are consistently promoted through advertisements on Google, making them appear at the top of search results. When keywords like "Upcoming Conference" or "International Conference" are searched, these sites are the first to appear.

The sites typically list 100 to 150 upcoming conferences. However, they do not maintain any archives for past conferences. Once the date for a previous conference has passed, the text on the page is updated with new conference names and dates. Additionally, the sites frequently show the same hotels as 'tentative venues' in multiple locations across the world. For example, The Seasons in Pattaya and The Westin in Dhaka are commonly listed as venues.

According to ResearchGate, this fraudulent network is referred to as "hunter websites." Their primary targets are university teachers and researchers who are eager to know about and participate in various conferences. These websites lure individuals with attractive topics and promises, and registration fees are taken under false pretenses. Initially, participants are told the conference will be in-person, where they will present research papers, but later it is moved to a virtual platform. The group’s members then pretend to be experts in the field. After a few registrants are “participated,” they turn their attention to new conferences. In reality, they do not have any actual research or experts. Their goal is to collect as many registrations as possible, using the names, dates, and venues of multiple conferences. The lowest registration fee they charge is $170. Even if they manage to register 10 victims per day, they make $1,700 daily, which adds up to $51,000 a month at the minimum rate. At the highest rate of $1,800, the earnings would be several times higher.

Investigations have found that all the fake institution websites use mobile numbers from India for communication. Among the websites mentioned above, four institutions with separate domains have the same contact number. When calling these numbers, one same Indian person answers the phone. Additionally, all virtual conferences are conducted by an Indian national. This indicates that the headquarters of this fraudulent group is based in India. These organizations’ advertisements are regularly displayed on Google search engines.

Regarding this, information technology expert Suman Ahmed Sabir says that there are numerous types of scams on online now. Using search engines, fraudsters can easily deceive online users. Users need to be vigilant and avoid making payments without proper verification. One must check if the payment gateway is trustworthy. Fraudsters are exploiting the opportunity provided by advertisements on Google search engines. When asked whether the search engine has a role in this, he said, “Search engines allow any site to be promoted through advertising. There are policies in place, and when violated, search engines often do not promote the site. However, due to the complexity of these policies, often legitimate sites do not get promoted, giving scammers a chance to spread their fraudulent schemes.”

Rased Mehedi: Editor, Views Bangladesh.