These publishers, like other predators, get in touch with the authors via e-mail, representing themselves as reliable publishers. They often address the author’s full name and delightedly appraise one of the author’s formerly published articles. They try to convince the author by especially aggressive marketing strategies to publish his/her study, dissertation or other work in their journals in printed or e-book format. Typically, these works have already been made publicly accessible in a repository.

The victims often face that their work is available through a print on demand service lacking any editing by the publisher only after making a contract with the publisher. Due to the fact that the “publisher” sells the work for an irrationally high price, nobody will buy neither the printed, nor the electronic version. If the author can recruit customers for his/her book, the “publisher” offers a more favourable price (which is still extremely high). The real essence of the fraud is hidden in the corresponding part of the contract with the publisher which is written with smaller letters: the author unwillingly authorizes the publisher to edit and merge his/her work with other works and eventually, the work can end up in the black market as a thesis.

Subsequent unravelling of these cases is practically impossible, therefore if you find yourself in a similar situation, we advise you to think through the decision very thoroughly, should it concern the payment of publication fees or sending your intellectual property.

If you receive suspicious e-mails, please write to the following address: szerzoknek@ek.szte.hu