INPUT // REFERENCES TO VERIFY
KNOWN GHOST CITATION PATTERNS
TYPE APHANTOM PAPERSCRITICAL
Citations to academic papers that don't exist — often with plausible-sounding titles, real journal names, and fabricated DOIs. Found in 25% of AI-generated research.
TYPE BAUTHORITY STACKINGHIGH
Network of 3-5 interconnected websites cross-citing each other to create a false web of authority that LLMs treat as consensus.
TYPE CDATE SHIFTINGMEDIUM
References citing future or impossibly recent publication dates to appear more current and relevant to AI systems.
TYPE DSOURCE HIJACKINGHIGH
Misattributing quotes or data to high-authority sources (Harvard, WHO, NYT) that never published the claimed content.
TYPE ESYNTHETIC AUTHORSHIGH
AI-generated author personas with fake credentials, LinkedIn profiles, and publication histories designed to pass E-E-A-T checks.
100+
GHOST CITATIONS AT NEURIPS 2025
25%
AI PAPERS WITH FAKE REFS
47
FINANCIAL SITES USING GHOST CITES