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Journal Hijacking 2026: How to Spot a Fake Cloned Journal

Journal Hijacking: How to Spot a Fake Cloned Journal in 2026

The Scam That Even Careful Researchers Fall For And How to Protect Your Work

Last Updated: April 2026  |  By ResearchJournalRank Team  |  For: PhD Students, Researchers, Academic Authors

 

A Scam More Dangerous Than Predatory Journals

Most researchers have heard of predatory journals fake publications that take your money without real peer review. But there is a second, far more dangerous scam that even experienced, careful researchers fall for: journal hijacking.

Journal hijacking happens when a malicious third party clones the website of a real, reputable, Scopus or Web of Science indexed journal copying its name, ISSN, and metadata and creates a fake website that looks identical to the genuine one. The fake site often appears above the real journal in search engine results. Researchers searching for a familiar, trusted journal name end up submitting their work, and their money, to criminals.

Investigators have tracked hundreds of confirmed hijacked journals in recent years, and papers from hijacked journals have even been found indexed alongside legitimate research in major scientific databases sometimes containing articles completely unrelated to the journal's actual subject area, a telltale sign of the fraud.

This guide explains exactly what journal hijacking is, how it differs from ordinary predatory publishing, the warning signs to watch for, and a step-by-step verification process you can complete in under 10 minutes before submitting to any journal.

 

What Is Journal Hijacking, Exactly?

Journal hijacking also called brandjacking, journal cloning, or journal phishing is the act of stealing the identity of a legitimate academic journal to deceive researchers into submitting manuscripts and paying fees to a fraudulent operation.

Here is how it typically works:

1. Scammers identify a real, indexed journal often a smaller or print-only journal with a weak or outdated online presence, or one whose original domain has lapsed
2. They register a similar domain name and build a website that copies the journal's name, ISSN, logo, and even its published article archive
3. The fake site is optimised to rank well in search engines in many documented cases, the clone site actually outranks the real journal's website
4. Researchers searching for the trusted journal name find the fake site first, believe it is genuine, and submit their paper along with a publication fee
5. The scammers either disappear with the payment, or publish the paper on the fake site giving it no real academic value despite the researcher believing they published in a reputable, indexed journal

 

The first documented case of journal hijacking dates back to 2012, when a Swiss journal's website was cloned. Since then, fraud trackers have documented hundreds of confirmed hijacked journal websites across nearly every academic field.

 

Hijacked Journal vs Predatory Journal What's the Difference?

These two terms are often confused, but they describe different threats. Understanding the distinction matters because the verification steps are not identical:

 

Feature	Predatory Journal	Hijacked Journal
What it is	A real but low-quality journal that never did honest peer review	A fake clone website pretending to be a real, reputable, indexed journal
Identity	Operates under its own name from day one	Steals the name, ISSN, and metadata of a genuine journal
Reputation used	None builds a (bad) reputation of its own	Borrows the real journal's reputation and indexing status
How it appears	Often found via spam email invitations	Often outranks the real journal in search engine results
Indexing claim	Often falsely claims Scopus/WoS indexing	May actually appear linked to real indexing due to ISSN theft
Danger level	Damaging but generally easier to spot	Far more dangerous even careful researchers are fooled
Real-world impact	Wastes money and time; paper has no academic value	Same plus reputational risk your paper may be wrongly linked to a scam database entry

 

The key takeaway: a predatory journal has never been legitimate it is easier to research and avoid. A hijacked journal is impersonating a real journal that you may have already cited, trusted, or seen recommended by colleagues making it significantly harder to detect without deliberate verification.

 

9 Red Flags That a Journal Website May Be Hijacked

Hijacked journal websites are built to look convincing but they almost always have at least one of these tells:

 

Red Flag	What to Check
Domain name looks slightly off	Compare letter by letter with the journal's domain listed in Scopus or DOAJ hijackers use one extra letter, a hyphen, or a different extension (.org instead of .com)
Unsolicited call-for-papers email	Genuine top journals almost never cold-email authors asking for submissions
Guaranteed fast publication	Real peer review at an indexed journal takes weeks to months same-week 'acceptance' is a major warning sign
Payment requested before peer review	Legitimate journals only request payment after acceptance, not at submission
DOIs that don't match the article	Click the DOI on any article it should resolve back to the article on the SAME website you are viewing
Editorial board can't be found	Search 2–3 editorial board member names individually on Google Scholar or LinkedIn if they don't exist or deny involvement, it's a clone
Topics don't match the journal's scope	A 'linguistics journal' publishing papers on COVID-19 or nutrition is a documented hijacking pattern
Website looks recently created	Check the domain's registration date many hijacker sites are only months old despite claiming decades of journal history
Multiple different websites, same name	If two different websites both claim to be the same journal, one of them is fake — check which one matches the official ISSN record

 

6-Step Verification Process Before You Submit to Any Journal

Researchers and fraud investigators consistently recommend checking more than one database, because in rare cases hijackers have managed to get fraudulent metadata partially reflected in legitimate indexing services. A single check is not always enough cross-referencing multiple sources is the reliable method.

 

Step	Action
1	Search the exact journal name and ISSN on the official Scopus Source List or your university's Scopus access confirm the URL shown there matches the site you are about to submit to
2	Cross-check the same ISSN on the DOAJ website if the journal claims open access, it should be listed there with a matching URL
3	Look up the journal's listed editorial board members individually on Google Scholar or their university pages confirm they are real people affiliated with the institutions claimed
4	Check the WHOIS domain registration date for the journal's website a journal claiming 20 years of history with a domain registered last year is a clear warning sign
5	Open 3–4 recently published articles and click their DOIs each DOI should redirect back to the article on the exact same website, with no dead links or mismatched content
6	Search the journal name plus the word 'hijacked' or check it directly against the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker spreadsheet, which tracks confirmed cloned journals

 

If a journal fails even one of these checks especially Step 1 (Scopus/ISSN mismatch) or Step 6 (appears on a hijacked journal tracker) do not submit, and do not pay any requested fee.

 

Why Indexed Journals Are the Primary Target

Hijackers specifically target journals that are indexed in Scopus or Web of Science not random unknown journals. The reason is simple: indexing is exactly what gives a journal credibility in researchers' eyes. A fake clone of an indexed journal can claim the real journal's citation history, its track record, and its perceived prestige all while collecting fees for a worthless, fake publication.

Print-only journals, journals from smaller countries with limited online infrastructure, and journals whose web domains have lapsed or expired are particularly vulnerable. When a journal's original domain expires, hijackers can register it and immediately gain control of an established, indexed journal's online identity a more advanced and harder-to-detect form of the same scam.

 

What to Do If You Think You Already Submitted to a Hijacked Journal

1. Stop all further communication and payment with the website immediately do not send any additional fees, even if threatened with penalties or told your paper will be "rejected"
2. Verify the journal independently using the 6-step process above, ideally from a different device or network in case the original search results were manipulated
3. If payment has already been made, contact your bank or payment provider to dispute the charge as fraudulent, and keep all email correspondence as evidence
4. Report the suspected hijacked website using the official Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker reporting form, which helps protect other researchers from the same scam
5. Inform your institution's library or research office many universities maintain internal alerts for hijacked and predatory journals affecting their researchers
6. Resubmit your genuine research to a verified journal use a free journal verification tool before submitting again

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How is journal hijacking different from a predatory journal?

A predatory journal operates under its own identity from the start it never had real peer review, but it is not impersonating anyone else. A hijacked journal is a fake clone of a real, reputable, indexed journal it steals that journal's name, ISSN, and reputation to deceive researchers. Hijacked journals are considered more dangerous because they exploit trust in an already-established, legitimate publication, making them harder for even experienced researchers to detect.

Q2: Can a hijacked journal really outrank the real journal in Google search?

Yes this has been documented repeatedly. Hijackers often invest in search engine optimisation for their clone websites, and because the real journal (especially older, print-origin journals) may have a weak or outdated web presence, the fake site can appear above the genuine journal in search results. This is precisely why search engine results alone should never be trusted to confirm a journal's authenticity always cross-check the ISSN against an official database.

Q3: How do I know if the editorial board listed on a journal's website is real?

Search 2–3 of the listed editorial board members by name on Google Scholar or LinkedIn. Confirm they are real academics, currently or previously affiliated with the institutions claimed, and ideally working in the journal's stated subject area. If you cannot find any trace of a board member, or if a researcher you contact says they have never heard of the journal, this is a strong indicator of a fraudulent or hijacked website.

Q4: Are hijacked journals also indexed in Scopus or Web of Science?

The genuine journal that has been cloned may well be indexed that is exactly why it was targeted. However, the hijacked clone website itself is typically NOT what is actually indexed; the indexing record belongs to the real journal and its real website. In rare and well-documented cases, confusion in indexing services has allowed some hijacked content to become temporarily associated with a database entry, which is why independent verification (checking the actual URL listed in the official Scopus Source List) is essential rather than relying on indexing status alone.

Q5: What should I do if I receive an unexpected invitation to submit from a journal I've never contacted?

Treat it with caution by default. Reputable, established journals especially well-known indexed ones — very rarely send unsolicited call-for-papers emails to researchers who have not engaged with them. If you receive such an email, do not click any links in it. Instead, search for the journal name independently, navigate to what you believe is the genuine website directly, and verify it using the 6-step process in this guide before considering submission.

Q6: Is there a free tool to check if a journal might be predatory or hijacked?

Yes. ResearchJournalRank offers a free Predatory Journal Checker enter the journal name or ISSN to check its status. Always combine this with checking the official Scopus Source List and the DOAJ for ISSN cross-referencing, and consult the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker for known cloned journal websites. Using multiple sources together gives the most reliable result, since no single database catches every case.

Q7: Why do hijackers target print-only or smaller journals specifically?

Print-only journals or journals based in countries with less developed online infrastructure often have a minimal or outdated web presence sometimes no official website at all. This makes it easy for a hijacker to create the first or most visible website under that journal's name, with no genuine site to compete against in search results. Journals whose domain registrations have lapsed are similarly vulnerable, since the hijacker can simply register the expired domain and immediately inherit search visibility under the real journal's name.

Q8: Can my paper still be considered for UGC API score or NAAC if it turns out to have been published in a hijacked journal?

No publications in hijacked or predatory journals are not recognised for UGC API scoring, NAAC, or NIRF documentation in India, because the journal's claimed indexing and credentials are fraudulent. This is why verification before submission is critical, not just for protecting your money, but for protecting your academic record. If you discover after the fact that a paper was published in a hijacked journal, treat it as void for academic evaluation purposes and resubmit your genuine research to a properly verified journal.

 

Conclusion

Journal hijacking succeeds precisely because it exploits trust trust in a familiar journal name, trust in search engine rankings, and trust that a website that looks professional must be genuine. None of these assumptions are safe to make in 2026.

The defence is straightforward but requires deliberate action every time: never trust a single search result, always cross-check the journal's ISSN against the official Scopus Source List and DOAJ, verify the editorial board independently, and check the website's domain registration history if anything feels off. The ten minutes this takes is far less costly than losing your research, your money, and potentially your academic credit to a fraudulent clone.

Before submitting to any journal especially one you found through an email invitation or a search result that surprised you run it through a verification check.

 

Verify any journal for free with the Predatory Journal Checker before you submit.

Check publisher legitimacy with the Predatory Publisher Checker.

Confirm Scopus indexing and the correct journal URL at Scopus Indexed Journals.

Verify your own paper's indexing status with the Scopus Article Finder by title or DOI.