How to avoid TEFL job scams

How can we tell if a TEFL job ad is legitimate or not?  Unfortunately it is getting increasingly difficult with some fraudsters creating multi-page school websites and paying for company-named email addresses.  You will even be able to speak to someone on the phone number provided on the website.  The golden rule is that you should never pay any fees to the school – you might pay fees at the embassy for a visa or pay a travel agent for an airplane ticket, but never ever pay the school money.  Here are a few warning signs:

Future ‘employers’ requesting money

Alarm bells should start ringing in your head as soon as you are asked to send prospective employers money.  As mentioned in the introduction you will occasionally have to spend money for visas at the embassy or perhaps for a medical at a clinic (remember to keep the receipts) but you should not have to send the apparent employer money.  

A dream job

There are a few dream TEFL jobs out there, but when a recruitment company or school offers you a fantastic salary in a country where other schools are offering a lot less, you need to scrutinize the job carefully.

Poor interview experience or no interview!

Interviews are not scripted so they often have an odd aspect to them. But if your interviewer’s English is poor, they seem unfamiliar with a teacher’s working routine, or are unfamiliar with well known texts then you should perhaps be wary. If there’s a job offer without even a perfunctory interview, then stay clear of that organization.

Dodgy contact information or website domain extensions

It’s worth examining the way in which you are communicating with the future employer.  Check that the postcode is legitimate.  Do phone numbers match the numbers on the official website?  It’s difficult to verify that a website/email address is indeed legitimate as people can add extensions to a well known company name and therefore pass themselves off as a member of that organization.  Google the numbers or email addresses and you might find that they have been used in previous scams.  Phone the organization using a number from their website and ask to be put through to the person hiring you – does he or she answer the phone? Do they answer the call with the school’s name?  Are you able to speak to a member of the teaching team?

Suspicious websites

Unfortunately fraudsters are getting more creative: they may build a multi-page website and pay for company-specific email addresses.  They can add a pin to Google maps indicating the location of their school, but if you look up the street name rather than the school, the school might not appear or you might see another school marked in its place.  They could explain that this is due to it being a new school.  Look at the website and see if they have been accredited by any organisations – then contact the organisations named and confirm that they have indeed accredited that particular school.  If not, then you know at the very least they are being dishonest and so you should ask yourself what else are they being deceitful about.

You might be able to use Google to check if the text or photos on the website have been copied from another website. 

Once again, the golden rule is don’t pay them money or send them important documents until you are sure that they are a legitimate organization. 

If you encounter any of the above, please contact teflhub.