Journal Hijacking: The Case of The Veliger
In the world of academic publishing, the integrity of scholarly records is paramount. However, a deceptive practice known as journal hijacking—where fraudulent actors create a fake version of a legitimate publication to deceive researchers—has emerged as a significant threat. A notable example of this occurred in March 2015 involving the established publication, The Veliger.
The Hijacking of The Veliger
Reports surfaced in March 2015 that The Veliger had been targeted by a fraudulent entity. This entity operated under the name Veliger: An International Journal in Science. While the original journal maintains its specific academic focus, the hijacked version expanded its scope to cover all areas of science, casting a wide net to attract unsuspecting authors from various disciplines.
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How the Deception Works
The fake journal employed several sophisticated tactics to appear legitimate and monetize its operations. Unlike the authentic publication, the hijacked version established its own website to facilitate submissions and payments.
Financial Exploitation
The fraudulent journal implemented a double-revenue stream. First, it required authors to pay high article processing charges (APCs)—fees paid by authors to make their research open access—to have their work published. Second, it restricted access to these articles, requiring readers to become paid subscribers to view the content.
Misleading Credentials
To gain trust, the fake journal linked directly to the archives of the real The Veliger. By doing so, it created a false impression that the fake journal shared the same prestige, including the impact factor (a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year) and the official indexing in the Scopus and Thomson Reuters databases.
Key Facts
- Incident Date: Reported in March 2015.
- Target: The legitimate journal The Veliger.
- Fake Entity: Veliger: An International Journal in Science.
- Scope Shift: The fake journal claimed to cover all areas of science.
- Monetization: Charged high article processing fees and required paid subscriptions for access.
- Deceptive Tactics: Linked to real archives to falsely claim Scopus and Thomson Reuters indexing.
Comparison Summary
| Feature | The Veliger (Original) | Veliger: An International Journal in Science (Fake) |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Specific academic focus | All areas of science |
| Website | Official channel | Fraudulent standalone site |
| Author Fees | Standard policies | High article processing charges |
| Access Model | Standard distribution | Paid subscriptions only |
| Indexing | Scopus and Thomson Reuters | Falsely claimed via links to original archives |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is journal hijacking?
Journal hijacking occurs when a fraudulent entity creates a fake website or version of an existing, legitimate scholarly journal to deceive authors into paying fees for publication.
How did the fake Veliger journal attract authors?
It expanded its scope to cover all areas of science and falsely implied it possessed the impact factor and database indexing (Scopus and Thomson Reuters) of the original journal.
What fees were associated with the fake journal?
The fake journal charged authors high article processing charges to publish their work and charged readers subscription fees to access the articles.
How did the fake journal appear legitimate?
The fraudulent site linked to the archives of the real The Veliger, misleading users into believing the fake journal was the same entity as the established publication.