TEFL Employment Job Scams Advice

Dear TEFLjobsoverseas.com Users:

We regularly receive emails from users asking whether certain job offers are 'legitimate'. Please note that as the global economic environment continues to worsen, the number of "scams" increases. We would hope everyone follows a very simple rule when looking at job offers: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is".

Whenever we receive a complaint about an actual posting from the site, we investigate and delete the ad if we find anything questionable. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop all unscrupulous individuals from contacting teachers with fraudulent offers even when there is no ad in question.

Please note that we encourage you to research all job postings. If you feel that a job is fraudulent, please feel free to use our TEFLjobsoverseas.com contact form to report the job posting link on TEFLjobsoverseas.com along with any information as to why you feel it may be fraudulent. We will then investigate the information and delete the Job Posting in question.

In addition, we added an Employment Scams Listings to the site for teachers to review. Every time we confirm a scam, we will add this to this list. In addition, please feel free to contact us with any known employment scams that you are aware of. We take internet fraud very seriously and will continue to due everything we can to keep teachers safe and provide a clean ESL TEFL TESOL teaching jobs listing.

I would suggest reading through my article Evaluating Teaching Job Offers. There is also some good Employment Scam Advice on Wikipedia. In addition, do some very basic background work on a job offer such as:
1. Did they actually post the terms of the ESL TEFL TESOL job offer on a public Job Board or are they just contacting teachers at random? If they did post, do the terms they state match what they are offering or is there a very wide variance.
2. Ask for contact information for present teachers employed with the school and speak with them.
3. Ask them for their contact information (Name, Address, Phone Number, Website, school email, etc.). If they don't give this, don't continue with the application.
4. Google the school name to gather information about them. Double check it with the information given in item #3 above. If the school or agency has a website, contact them through the website to ask about the job offer in question.
5. Compare the job offer to others. If the terms and benefits are far greater than the industry norm then it is probably not legitimate.

Please note that some scams have become very sophisticated with glossy websites, etc. to attract the unwary. Best to always Google search potential employers and do some basic research prior to accepting a job offer or responding.

Regardless, anyone using the internet to find any employment, regardless of the industry they work in, should use caution and discretion. In addition, you should limit any personal information you send/share (i.e. NEVER send Government ID numbers or Credit Card Information)...and NEVER send money for a promise of employment...Legitimate employers do not ask this.

If you ever encounter what you believe to be a scam and want to take action, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission at uce@ftc.gov or to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). In addition, there are international agencies such as ICPEN that handle cross-border/international internet fraud.

Finally, if you are not sure if it is a scam...send it to me for my advice. I have been in the ESL industry for over 10 years so can help you to evaluate the position. Please note - this is only if you think it is a scam. I am not an employment advisor/recruiter nor am I a contract negotiator.

We at TEFLjobsoverseas.com wish everyone the best of wishes and hope for your continued success.

Thank you.
Admin
TEFLjobsoverseas.com

Full article/information regarding scams by author Michael G. Hines can be viewed at Avoding Teaching Job Scams