[liberationtech] [SPAM:####] Re: [SPAM:####] CfP: Society, Informatics and Cybernetics (March 19)

[Rich Kulawiec]

On Mon, Mar 04, 2013 at 09:42:27AM -0800, Yosem Companys wrote:
> 7th International Multi-Conference on Society, Cybernetics and Informatics: IMSCI 2013 (www.2013iiisconferences.org/imsci) to be held in Orlando, Florida, USA, on July 9-12, 2013.

It's a scam.  This is one in a long series of fake "conferences" that have
been spamvertized for years.  (I have something on the order of 8000
samples of email and Usenet spam from the promoters of these.)

This particular domain is registered to:

	Int'l Inst. of Informatics & Systemics
	Torre Prof. La California, Suite PH-4
	Av. Fco. de Miranda, La California Norte
	Caracas 1071 VE
	58.21223270

which organization does not seem to exist anywhere except in its own
materials.  Morever, the alternate address for that "organization" is:

	13750 West Colonial Dr
	Suite 350 - 408
	Winter Garden, Florida 34787

which also happens to be the address for:

	International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics

which also does not seem to exist anywhere else.  Fascinating that two
international organizations share the same address, isn't it?

Now that phone number above -- the one in Caracas -- shows up on at
least 13 domains for other face organizations/conferences:

	demset2011.org
	iceme2013.org
	icsit2013.org
	icta2012.org
	iiis-info.org
	iiis.org
	iiis2013.org
	imsci2011.org
	imsci2012.org
	is11conferences.org
	sistconfer.org
	techconfer.org
	wmsci2011.org

And they've been at it for a while, see for example:

	http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/scigen/
and
	http://copy-shake-paste.blogspot.com/2008/12/fake-conferences.html

And unsurprisingly that last link mentions "Professor Nagib Callaos";
and what do we find in the registration for the domain that's our topic here?

	Email:ncallaos at USB.VE

Riiiiight.

The methodology for these fake conferences is pretty consistent: spam
mailing lists and newsgroups, hit moderators/list-owners -- who are
well-meaning of course and just trying to help out -- then accept ANY
paper, but make sure to charge hefty fees for doing so...which is of
course where the profits come from.

---rsk