How do I check if a conference is legit?

The quickest method is to paste the conference URL into ScholarVault (app.scholarvault.in), which runs an automated 18-point forensic audit in 12 seconds. You can also manually check the domain age, verify Scopus indexing claims, research committee members on Google Scholar, and look for archived proceedings from previous editions.

Is the conference board legit?

Conference boards or conference alert websites that aggregate listings — like conferenceboard.org, allconferencealert.com, or conferencealerts.co.in — list both legitimate and predatory conferences without verification. Being listed on these sites does NOT confirm legitimacy. Always independently verify each conference using ScholarVault or manual checks.

What Trust Score indicates a safe conference?

On ScholarVault's 0-100 scale: Scores above 70 indicate Safe conferences with strong legitimacy signals. Scores between 40-70 are Suspicious and require additional manual verification. Scores below 40 are Not Recommended and show strong predatory indicators. The detailed report breaks down exactly which checks passed and failed.

I received a Call for Papers email — should I trust it?

Unsolicited CFP emails are one of the most common methods used by predatory conferences to attract submissions. Genuine conferences rarely send mass emails to researchers outside their field. If you received a generic CFP addressed to 'Dear Researcher' covering broad topics, verify the conference URL through ScholarVault before responding.

Can I get a refund if I registered at a fake conference?

Most predatory conferences have no refund policy or make refunds extremely difficult. If you paid via credit card, contact your bank for a chargeback. For UPI payments, file a complaint with your bank and the National Consumer Helpline (1800-11-4000). To avoid this situation entirely, verify any conference using ScholarVault before paying.

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Is This Conference Legit?

You found a conference, received a Call for Papers, or saw an ad online. Before you submit your paper or pay any fee — here's how to check if it's real.

Quick Conference Verification

Check any conference in 3 simple steps:

1 Copy the conference URL

2 Paste into ScholarVault

3 Get Trust Score in 12 sec

Check a Conference Now →

6-Point Quick Legitimacy Check

If you don't have time for a full investigation, these six checks catch 90% of predatory conferences:

🏛️ Who's organising it? Is it a university, professional society (IEEE, ACM, Springer), or recognised institution? Unknown companies are a red flag.

📅 How old is the domain? Check via WHOIS. Domains less than 1 year old are suspicious. Legitimate conferences use established domains.

📑 Can you find previous editions? Search for past proceedings on Google Scholar or DBLP. No history = no credibility.

🔍 Can you verify indexing claims? Check scopus.com/sources or mjl.clarivate.com directly. If claims don't check out, walk away.

👤 Are committee members real? Google each name + institution. Genuine academics have Google Scholar profiles and institutional pages.

⏱️ How fast is "acceptance"? 24-48 hour acceptance = no real peer review. Legitimate conferences take 2-8 weeks.

Real-World Scenarios: Legit or Not?

Here's how typical conferences would be evaluated:

Scenario 1: Conference organised by IIT department SAFE

A department at IIT Madras announces a national conference on their official department website. The conference has Springer LNCS proceedings, named faculty conveners with institutional email addresses, and archived proceedings from three previous editions.

Why it's safe: Institutional organiser, verifiable committee, published track record, legitimate publisher partnership. ScholarVault Trust Score: typically 75-95.

Scenario 2: CFP received via email with broad topic coverage SUSPICIOUS

You receive an email for "4th International Conference on Engineering, Science, Technology, and Management" in Goa. The website looks professional, lists a ₹12,000 registration fee, and claims papers will be published in "Scopus-indexed journals." The committee lists names from various institutions.

Why it's suspicious: Extremely broad scope (covers every discipline), unsolicited email, claims journal publication (conferences publish proceedings, not journal articles), high fee. ScholarVault Trust Score: typically 30-55.

Scenario 3: "National Conference" running in 8 cities simultaneously NOT RECOMMENDED

A website advertises "National Conference on Recent Advances in [Everything]" with events in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur, and Lucknow — all in the same month. Registration is ₹25,000. Acceptance is guaranteed within 48 hours. Payment is via personal UPI ID.

Why it's not recommended: Conference mill pattern (identical events across cities), guaranteed acceptance, personal payment channels, no verifiable academic substance. ScholarVault Trust Score: typically 5-25.

Where People Find Conferences (and the Risks)

Email Call for Papers (CFPs)

The most common way researchers encounter predatory conferences. Mass emails with subject lines like "Call for Papers — Scopus Indexed — Early Bird Deadline" are sent to thousands of researchers harvested from published papers and ResearchGate profiles. Rule of thumb: If you didn't seek out the conference yourself, verify it before responding.

Conference Alert Websites

Sites like allconferencealert.com, conferencealerts.co.in, and nationalconference.org.in aggregate conference listings without verification. Being listed on these sites does NOT confirm legitimacy. Anyone can pay to list their event. Always cross-verify using ScholarVault or manual checks.

Social Media Ads

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ads for conferences are increasingly common. Predatory organisers use targeted advertising to reach researchers in specific fields. Professional-looking ads are not proof of legitimacy. Check the conference website and organisers independently.

WhatsApp Groups

Academic WhatsApp groups frequently share conference announcements. While some are genuine tips from colleagues, others are planted by conference promoters. Verify any conference shared in a WhatsApp group before acting on it.

What ScholarVault Checks for You

When you paste a conference URL into ScholarVault, our 18-point forensic audit engine automatically checks:

Domain registration age and registrar information
SSL certificate grade and type (DV, OV, EV)
Website content quality and professionalism
Scopus indexing claim verification
Web of Science indexing claim verification
IEEE/ACM/Springer affiliation verification
Committee member authenticity signals
Previous edition and proceedings history
Known predatory conference blacklist matching against Kscien (~450 predatory conferences, 1,400+ predatory journals)
Registration fee pattern analysis
Contact information verification
Venue and logistics authenticity
Topic scope analysis (over-breadth detection)
Acceptance timeline assessment
Cross-reference with DOAJ (22,000+ journals), CORE Conference Rankings (825+ ranked venues), and DBLP
UGC-CARE cloned and delisted journal list matching
Retraction Watch quality signals (~27,000 journals)
Beall's List predatory publisher archive (~2,900 entries)
Payment channel analysis
Related domain and organiser history
Overall trust pattern aggregation

ScholarVault aggregates data from multiple authoritative databases — making it the most comprehensive conference verification tool available. No other tool cross-references this many sources in a single 12-second scan.

The result is a Trust Score (0–100) and a clear verdict: Safe, Suspicious, or Not Recommended — with a detailed breakdown of each check.

Don't Risk Your Career on a Fake Conference

Paste any conference URL and get a Trust Score in 12 seconds. It's free to start — no credit card required.

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