Fake Editorial Boards and Fabricated Impact Factors

a) Fake or Questionable Editorial Boards

Predatory publishers use various strategies to appear credible:

• Listing researchers who have not agreed to serve on the editorial board

• Inventing fictitious individuals, sometimes using stolen profile images

• Appointing editors with little or no publication record

• Listing editors who are not affiliated with the stated institutions

b) Fake or Misleading Impact Factors

Predatory journals often attempt to simulate academic credibility by using:

• Fabricated “impact scores”

• Invented indexing services (e.g., “Global Impact Index”)

• Misleading use of the term “Impact Factor”