While there are many legitimate Who’s Who biographical directories, some unscrupulous individuals have created Who’s Who scams that involve the selling of “memberships” in Who’s Who directories that are created online and through instant publishing services. These are essentially thinly veiled scams designed to get individuals to part with their money and not some exclusive directory like the legitimate Who’s Who published by professional directories like Madison Who’s Who, which have an elaborate selection process.
Often the companies that “own” these registries are recently incorporated and the few individuals listed in them (who often post that on their web sites) are people who are being listed in the directory as a marketing tactic.  Therefore, the publication of their names in these directories is just a form of vanity publishing, and doesn’t really accomplish the professional networking that these directories were intended for.
Often blogs or forum posts that discuss these scams have entries by someone who is stating that they used the directory to make valuable business contacts, but these posts cannot be verified and are like other online reviews that provide no verification of the consumer or user’s identity.  If you want to benefit from all of the opportunities provided by professional directories, it’s important to choose a directory that is reputable, such as Madison Who’s Who.