University of Chile
Question
Asked 19 January 2024
I received a strange message today without having the requisite details. Is it a spam? No details are available?
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Chinatsu Yui <asiantech.c@asianco.info>
Wed, Jan 17, 10:44 PM (2 days ago)
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to me
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Dear Professor. G. Shashikumar
I hope this email finds you well. As a lecture coordinator, I am writing to invite you to deliver a guest lecture to our member universities and institutes across Asia.
Our initiative aims to foster greater intellectual and cultural exchange between students and researchers across the region. We believe that hosting distinguished speakers, like yourself, can promote the sharing of ideas and perspectives.
Our member institutions would greatly benefit from your expertise. A lecture from you, whether delivered remotely or in-person during a visiting fellowship, would be warmly received by audiences at our partners in China, Japan, India, Korea, Thailand and beyond.
Honoraria and travel expenses would be provided for an in-person lecture. For a remote lecture, we offer an honorarium in appreciation of your time and insights. We can collaborate to determine suitable dates, formats, topics and other details.
Please let me know if you would be interested in this opportunity to engage with our pan-Asian academic network. I welcome any questions and look forward to your response regarding a potential guest lecture.
Best regards, Chinatsu Yui
Most recent answer
The same. An interesting offer for dictate a conference with air flight and hotel accommodations included plus honoraries. It sounds desirable but.... suspicious.
1 Recommendation
All Answers (41)
State University of Feira de Santana
Hello friends! I also received this message and deleted it. I found it suspicious of fraud.
University of Lübeck
It seems that this issue was already reported in 2022 (https://www.researchgate.net/post/Has_anyone_else_received_this_message_Is_it_spam/5) and it is still going on. I have also got it from two different accounts, asianspeech.g@cocalizer.info and asianspeech.g@akiasiansic.info,
Best, m
Politecnico di Milano
I'm also receiving these messages. Since I don't answer, because I find very suspicious this kind of messages without any presentation of their company, they go on sending me the same message and inviting me to reply.
Organizational Excellence Specialists Inc
I have received the same message a number of times and have not responded.
In the most recent message, the sender has asked to set up a 20 minute video conference call.
The website does not appear legitimate.
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Just l received today. The sender is a femail Japanese-like name, nut no company name, no address, and anything. I suggest you, pls do not respond the email.
1 Recommendation
University of Regensburg
I've received the same message today. I since years globally engaged in higher education and never experienced such communication. I found the message more than suspicious.
Novosibirsk State Technical University
I also received such a message. These are definitely scammers. Firstly, they made a mistake and called me a professor (I am a graduate student) and offered to speak on incomprehensible topics. Secondly, they sent suspicious links that I did not open. Thirdly, they wrote very persistently for 10 days.
It is obvious that they are trying to operate all over the world, since letters have already arrived in India, Germany, Japan and Russia
Instute for Work and Health, Lausanne, Switzerland
Same for me. This message comes for the 5th time at least.
Iqra University Karachi
I received the similar message, the content of the email received are not complete and full in terms of professional invitation for example:
a. The sender does not provide any details about the organization he belongs,
b. Sender position in the organization is not given,
c. Sender does not justify what part of my work has influenced him to send me this invitation,
d. Organization website details are missing, etc.
Therefore, it seems to be a spam.
Dear all,
this email I received on Saturday:
"Sorry to interrupt you again.
This is an opportunity for us to invite you as a keynote speaker in an upcoming event on lecture series to be held in Asian countries. We are impressed by your research contributions. If we can reach out to a cooperation, we will pay a good remuneration for you.
For more details, is it possible for you to spare 20 minutes? I'd like to schedule a zoom meeting for you and my director. It will be more direct and clearer to discuss details and share proposals.
Wish everything goes on well with you.
Daiki Kojima"
Under akiasiansic there is nothing found.
That seems to be bs.
Osaka Metropolitan University
I also have received a similar message from Kaede Okada: okada@akiasiansic.info.
It seems to be a spam mail.
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
I got the same message, and have set up a preliminary Zoom talk next week. Hard to see what the downside might be - I won't be sharing credit card info, etc.. I'll let you know what happens.
1 Recommendation
Instituto Español de Oceanografia
I got this message from asiantech
"Long time no see. I’m thrilled to reconnect with you after so much time! It’s wonderful to catch up and to think about the potential for new opportunities together. As the holiday season approaches, I wanted to reach out with my warmest wishes. May your Thanksgiving be filled with gratitude, joy, and quality time with loved ones. I hope Christmas brings you peace, happiness, and cherished moments to close out the year.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the possibility of working together and exploring ways we can collaborate to achieve great things. I believe our combined efforts can lead to rewarding projects, and I’m optimistic about the future.
Wishing you a joyous Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year. May the coming year bring success, health, and new beginnings. Let’s keep in touch and make this a season to remember!"
Spam?? obviously...
Luther College
same here... curious what folks have learned. Eric Leskowitz did you find out anything? I'm suspecting it just a scam.
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
I just had my 15’ chat with their rep last night, and was not impressed. Many red flags: the person I’d emailed wasn’t on the call because his English wasn’t good enough; their honoraria were too generous ($2000 for a 40-minute podcast; an all-expenses paid trip to Japan for 3 days of lectures); they didn’t have a website (their Director felt it would be too difficult to set up), etc.
They wanted me to recommend other colleagues for their program, and to send them my CV before the next round of discussions. I said I’d like some contact info for other “Professors” who’ve lectured for them before I send them anything further. I doubt I’ll hear back, and after talking with friends about the many ways in which info can be misused (building my CV into a site that gets them traffic, for example), I’m not going to pursue it any further, even though I’m curious to know how this scam might actually work. But not that curious!
1 Recommendation
Luther College
Thanks Eric Leskowitz ! That is what I suspected. Curious myself too, but agree, not that curious! :-)
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Belated follow-up: I had asked Endou for some references to follow up with, and she gave me the name of a European physicist to contact. I Googled his name and contacted him at his university email address, which was not the one supplied by Endou (just as well, as I was suspicious of using the address she'd supplied).
He's quite prominent, and much to my surprise, I got a very pleasant response in which he vouched for the legitimacy of this whole educational enterprise, saying he'd had positive experiences with them in the past. So I was all ready to go ahead with a lecture or two, but I haven't heard back from Endou since then (about a month). So I think I'll just let it go.
Best wishes to all for 2025!
University of Bologna
I keep receiving these messages. Since I don't reply, as they seem suspicious without any company introduction, they keep sending the same message and asking me to respond.
University of Belgrade
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I got the same from Asahina Junko <Asian-tech@goacadco.info>.
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