Possible new scam targetting reviewer/proofreaders Thread poster: neilmac
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:32
Spanish to English
+ ...
I received this email this morning (see below), apparently soliciting my services as a reviewer for a Journal. There is little preamble and no mention is made of payment or how they got my details. The names in the email appear to be African, but if it is a scam it is rather more sophisticated than the usual "Nigerian banker" type, for example it seems to be pretty well written, apart from the lack of niceties.
I do a lot of work in Bio, Animal and Phtyosanitary areas so they may have fou... See more I received this email this morning (see below), apparently soliciting my services as a reviewer for a Journal. There is little preamble and no mention is made of payment or how they got my details. The names in the email appear to be African, but if it is a scam it is rather more sophisticated than the usual "Nigerian banker" type, for example it seems to be pretty well written, apart from the lack of niceties.
I do a lot of work in Bio, Animal and Phtyosanitary areas so they may have found my details in the acknowledgments of an article I reviewed or translated for some other professional Journal, but it would be nice to have feedback from any prozers who may have received similar overtures. I am reluctant to engage in dialogue with the senders without first checking to see if they are real.
I intend to investigate this further as soon as I can clear my desk of more pressing tasks.
The email text is as follows (names removed as per forum guidelines):
"Journal of Medicinal Plants Research
www.academicjournals.org/jmpr
Invitation to Review JMPR-11-748
Dear colleague,
We received a manuscript titled:
Soybean Treditional and Medicinal Usage
Abstract
Epidemiological data which indicated people from Asian cultures have
lower rates of certain cancers, including cancer of the breast,
prostate and colon, sparked an interest in soy as a contributing
factor. Soybeans have the highest concentration of isoflavones, as
well as the highest concentration of the individual isoflavones
thought to contain medicinal properties – genistein and daidzein.
Isoflavones have antioxidant properties that protect the
cardiovascular system from LDL oxidation. Isoflavones are also a type
of phytoestrogen that have been studied for their role in the
prevention of osteoporosis and symptoms of menopause, as well as
breast and prostate cancer.
Keywords: Soybean, isoflavones, cancers, antioxidant
Also attached is the full manuscript, instruction for authors and a
reviewer’s guide into which you are to fill in your comments.
I will be very happy if you can find some time to review this
manuscript for us within the desired period. You are also invited to
submit your articles for publication in the esteemed journal of
medicinal plants research.
Kindly send me a mail to acknowledge the receipt of the full manuscript.
Best regards,
XXXX XXXXX
For
Prof. XXX XXX XXXXX
Editor, Journal of Medicinal Plants ResearchA
E-mail: jmpr.acadjourn@gmail.com
http:// www.academicjournals.org/JMPR
ISSN 1996-0875
(ISI INDEXED JOURNAL; IMPACT FACTOR 0.590)"
NB:
On the website of the Journal cited, it states that it is a voluntary/unpaid free access publication and that there is no financial reward for reviewers and editors of the various journals, as these positions are purely voluntary, so perhaps I have misunderstood an innocent request for unpaid collaboration with a scam. If this turns out to be the case, I apologise for crying wolf....
[Edited at 2011-06-17 08:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ana Cuesta 
Spain
Local time: 11:32
English to Spanish
| Sounds more like a request for peer-reviewing to me | Jun 17, 2011 |
It sounds to me like the sort of request we used to get in academia, as in asking a peer (expert) to review an article (for free), commenting on interest, possible flaws in content, etc. rather than offering a language reviewing job... Specially when they also invite you to submit your own manuscripts for publication... That's the way scientific journals work and it is kind of a recognition that they ask you to do it (they normally ask people with a list of publications behind).
| | | | | I'm no expert at scientific journals, but | Jun 17, 2011 |
neilmac wrote:
I received this email this morning (see below), apparently soliciting my services as a reviewer for a Journal. There is little preamble and no mention is made of payment or how they got my details. The names in the email appear to be African, but if it is a scam it is rather more sophisticated than the usual "Nigerian banker" type, for example it seems to be pretty well written, apart from the lack of niceties.
I do a lot of work in Bio, Animal and Phtyosanitary areas so they may have found my details in the acknowledgments of an article I reviewed or translated for some other professional Journal, but it would be nice to have feedback from any prozers who may have received similar overtures. I am reluctant to engage in dialogue with the senders without first checking to see if they are real.
I intend to investigate this further as soon as I can clear my desk of more pressing tasks.
The email text is as follows (names removed as per forum guidelines):
"Journal of Medicinal Plants Research
www.academicjournals.org/jmpr
Invitation to Review JMPR-11-748
Dear colleague,
We received a manuscript titled:
Soybean Treditional and Medicinal Usage
Abstract
Epidemiological data which indicated people from Asian cultures have
lower rates of certain cancers, including cancer of the breast,
prostate and colon, sparked an interest in soy as a contributing
factor. Soybeans have the highest concentration of isoflavones, as
well as the highest concentration of the individual isoflavones
thought to contain medicinal properties – genistein and daidzein.
Isoflavones have antioxidant properties that protect the
cardiovascular system from LDL oxidation. Isoflavones are also a type
of phytoestrogen that have been studied for their role in the
prevention of osteoporosis and symptoms of menopause, as well as
breast and prostate cancer.
Keywords: Soybean, isoflavones, cancers, antioxidant
Also attached is the full manuscript, instruction for authors and a
reviewer’s guide into which you are to fill in your comments.
I will be very happy if you can find some time to review this
manuscript for us within the desired period. You are also invited to
submit your articles for publication in the esteemed journal of
medicinal plants research.
Kindly send me a mail to acknowledge the receipt of the full manuscript.
Best regards,
XXXX XXXXX
For
Prof. XXX XXX XXXXX
Editor, Journal of Medicinal Plants ResearchA
E-mail: jmpr.acadjourn@gmail.com
http:// www.academicjournals.org/JMPR
ISSN 1996-0875
(ISI INDEXED JOURNAL; IMPACT FACTOR 0.590)"
NB:
On the website of the Journal cited, it states that it is a voluntary/unpaid free access publication and that there is no financial reward for reviewers and editors of the various journals, as these positions are purely voluntary, so perhaps I have misunderstood an innocent request for unpaid collaboration with a scam. If this turns out to be the case, I apologise for crying wolf.... [Edited at 2011-06-17 08:11 GMT]
why is the email address for this Prof XXX XXX XXXX a gmail account? Other than that, it doesn't sound like a scam, but why? Or am I missing something?
Also, why don't you ask WHERE they got your information?
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 11:32
German to English
+ ...
| It doesn't sound like a scam to me, | Jun 17, 2011 |
especially since there is no mention of anything remotely financial. To the contrary, they are inviting you to contribute articles for publication (free, from the sound of it). It's doubtful your run-of-the-mill scammer would have the vaguest idea about how academic journals work. Scams are about making money fraudulently, and complimentary peer reviews of academic articles are quite usual and the complete opposite what frauds are trying to accomplish, so I would have no qualms about contacting ... See more especially since there is no mention of anything remotely financial. To the contrary, they are inviting you to contribute articles for publication (free, from the sound of it). It's doubtful your run-of-the-mill scammer would have the vaguest idea about how academic journals work. Scams are about making money fraudulently, and complimentary peer reviews of academic articles are quite usual and the complete opposite what frauds are trying to accomplish, so I would have no qualms about contacting the organization and asking for clarification, if you need it. ▲ Collapse
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Dr Jérémy Anquetin (X)
France
Local time: 11:32
English to French
It is not a scam, but a formal request to review the article as a specialist in the concerned field (that they got apparently wrong imaginating that you were an academic). This is the traditional peer-review process through which academic article goes before being effectively published, or not.
If you are not an established scientist, this is not for you, not to mention that peer-reviewing is made on a non-paid basis (I know what I am talking about because I used to be an academic m... See more It is not a scam, but a formal request to review the article as a specialist in the concerned field (that they got apparently wrong imaginating that you were an academic). This is the traditional peer-review process through which academic article goes before being effectively published, or not.
If you are not an established scientist, this is not for you, not to mention that peer-reviewing is made on a non-paid basis (I know what I am talking about because I used to be an academic myself...)
Best, ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I would also like to know if it is scam. | Jun 24, 2011 |
I have received a similar e-mail. I am a researcher, so I did not find strange that they asked me for a review. The weird thing is the way they ask for it, without saying how they know me or my work and the fact that the mail was almost rude. I know that reviews are done for free, but usually when you are asked for a review, the invitation is very nice. The abstract and the article seem ok, but when I found the journal website, I found out that they have no publications after 2009 and that there... See more I have received a similar e-mail. I am a researcher, so I did not find strange that they asked me for a review. The weird thing is the way they ask for it, without saying how they know me or my work and the fact that the mail was almost rude. I know that reviews are done for free, but usually when you are asked for a review, the invitation is very nice. The abstract and the article seem ok, but when I found the journal website, I found out that they have no publications after 2009 and that there was not the name of any member of the editorial board. This is very very very strange. It is a Chinese journal, but the last name of the editorial officer (in the mail, but his name does not appear in the web) is clearly Nigerian. I do not know what to think. The mail I received was:
Dear Colleague,
We received a manuscript titled: The Study of Two Instructional Methods on English Vocabulary Acquisition among Intermediate Students in Kerman: Keyword Method vs. Concept Mapping. I wish to inquire if you can create time to review this manuscript and send it to us within 12 days. Kindly send me an email to acknowledge the receipt of this mail.
Kindly find the abstract below.
......
Find attached the article and the reviewer's guide
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
XXX
Editorial Officer ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:32
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Better safe than sorry! | Jun 27, 2011 |
Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
Other than that, it doesn't sound like a scam, but why? Or am I missing something?
Also, why don't you ask WHERE they got your information?
As I noted in my original post, I am reluctant to engage in dialogue with the senders without first checking to see if they are real.
However, as it seems to be a request for peer-reviewing and not language services per se, I have no interest in further relations/communications with them even if they are legit. It would still be nice to know if they are real or scammers, but I don't really want to take things any further myself, just in case.
Thanks everybody for the feedback; even if this request is genuine, it's always better to check.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:32
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
dontlikefrauds wrote:
The weird thing is the way they ask for it, without saying how they know me or my work and the fact that the mail was almost rude. I know that reviews are done for free, but usually when you are asked for a review, the invitation is very nice.
This is exactly the reason that aroused my suspicions in the first place. The lack of formal preamble of any description does not sit well with the would-be academic air of the email. The rest of points you mention are also interesting (Chinese Journal/Nigerian surname, no publications since 2009....).
Thanks everybody for the feedback. At least now I know it's not just me being paranoid!
[Edited at 2011-06-27 08:21 GMT]
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B D Finch
France
Local time: 11:32
French to English
+ ...
| It smells a bit dodgy | Jun 27, 2011 |
If they have received a paper for peer review, then why does it already appear to have been published. Try a snippet on Google and see the results. I think that they have lifted the text from a published paper.
There are some errors in the English, which could simply be because it is not written by a native speaker of English, but the following:
"You are also invited to submit your articles for publication in the esteemed journal of
medicinal plants research"
... See more If they have received a paper for peer review, then why does it already appear to have been published. Try a snippet on Google and see the results. I think that they have lifted the text from a published paper.
There are some errors in the English, which could simply be because it is not written by a native speaker of English, but the following:
"You are also invited to submit your articles for publication in the esteemed journal of
medicinal plants research"
seems a bit suspicious, as they should surely know whether or not you are a qualified, publishing scientist or not. Also the use of the word "esteemed", the lower case for the name of the "journal".
I also agree with the comments already made about the tone. I used to be Manuscript Secretary for a couple of professional, scientific journals and often wrote to ask people to review articles. The people I wrote to were well known in their field and I knew their credentials before writing, having generally discussed the choice of peer reviewer beforehand with the Editor. I would certainly not have written a letter like this one. ▲ Collapse
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