(13 May 2025) For Emerald, phishing attacks have included impersonating Emerald staff and representatives via email, social media, and other communications channels; cloning a closed book series using the original ISSN, cover image, and Emerald’s former address on mock acceptance letters complete with the deceased editor’s name; and the creation of a pastiche of Emerald’s website and branding, although a side-by-side comparison makes the forgeries very easy to spot.
These initiatives offer the author guaranteed acceptance or fast-tracked publication to an Emerald journal via a third-party representative, in exchange for a substantial sum of money paid by WhatsApp, Telegram, or the latest under the radar communications.
Thomas Swindells, Senior Research Integrity Manager at Emerald Publishing shares how Emerald is fighting with such scams.
