Known Scams - Do not respond to these!!!

[matter]

We do our best to filter job ads on TEFL.net, but you may see occasional job ads here that are not legitimate. Please do your homework carefully on any job that interests you. Read more about job scams here.

Below are email addresses and other details of known scammers. For your own protection, you are recommended never to respond or send requested documents to these email addresses or entities.

@ bilingual-institute.com
@ directcareers.com
@ employment.com
@ humanresource.com
@ jobsearchdirect.com
@ jobvacancies.com
@ [anything].myreplymate.com
@ primesolutionsservices.com
@ personnelrecruiters.com
@ personnelservices.com
@ recruitmentservices.com
@ [anything].response4free.com
@ staffsolutions.com
@ teachers-international.org

donotreplyjobprogress @ gmail.com
ombroapplicationdocument @ gmail.com
supremeappointments @ gmail.com
universeappointmentsdirect @ gmail.com

any domain ending in .tk (a small island in the South Pacific)

"Maggit School" supposedly in Dubai

fax numbers: 0866590609, 0866503018

There are/will be many, many more such nonsense email addresses/domains/names. But the scams are actually quite easy to spot. First of all, if you try to browse to the website of the relevant domain (eg humanresource.com) you may find it is "for sale". Also, small mistakes in idiomatic English may be another dead giveaway, for example the missing "s" in humanresource.com.

They usually start off saying that you responded to one of their job ads.

They then request, "in order that we can process your application", that you fax them a whole host of documents including CV and photo.

They may urge you to do this urgently because "positions are limited."

They may finish by saying that if you don't hear from them within 10 days "you can assume that your application was not successful, this time."

Everything is generic. You are addressed as "Dear Jobseeker" or suchlike, not by name.

Please use common sense when responding to emails about job offers. If you are not certain that an email is from a reputable source, don't respond!

[matter]

I was recently contacted by someone who I am reasonably sure is a scammer. This is the email he sent me from sinnggh@gmail.com:

"Hello Teacher,

Employer: Mr.Dheeraj Singh
Nationality:Indian
Location:Manchester,England
Job Details: I need a good ESL teacher who is willing to relocate to Manchester,England.The teacher will coach my 2kids in basic English language for 10months.
Job Duration:10months
Salary per month:£2,560
Accomodation:Well furnished one bedroom flat
Bonus:20% of the total salary at the end of the contract.

If interested and willing to relocate,send your cv(resume),recent picture and certificate."

I sent him my resume and a picture but no certificate, and he asked a couple of questions, and then he sent me a contract which said that he would pay for my flight and help me get a visa. He also sent a picture of an Indian family posing in front of a Christmas tree and a picture of Jesus.

I am guessing that his end game is overpaying me for my flight and asking me to send him the difference.

I was suspicious because of the high salary for only 20 hours per week and with accommodation and airfare included, as well as paid vacation (2 weeks for Christmas and 3 weeks later in the year). My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed that the contact email that he gave me to arrange my visa was barr.jcrowe@homeofficegovuk.net, when a real Home Office email address would end in @homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

[matter]

I recently paid teachers-international.org through SWREG for guaranteed TEFL position now they dont even reply to my emails.

A useful reminder, as stated on our jobs board, NEVER to send money. - Admin

[CFTUBeijing]

There are over 120 known ESL/TEFL scam schools and agents/recruiters in China which are listed at this link with their photos. They are smooth talkers so no matter what they tell you, just hang up the phone and sign nothing!

http://www.chinaforeignteachersunion.org/2012/12/china-foreign-teachers-union-posts-esl.html

There are also 30,000 known fraudsters in China and if you do any business in China check this list first before taking any partners, investors, or loans.

http://www.ChinaScamPatrol.com

[CFTUBeijing]

SCAM ALERT!
The CFTU has received yet another complaint about Rebecca Tang the owner of China ESL and this time we are asking the Minister of Justice and Minister of Education to revoke her license. Shas been operating for 8 years and has been accused 23 times of fraud and 7 times of extortion. This latest complaint from former teacher K.T. Cox is very consistent with past complaints received by the CFTU:

http://www.chinaforeignteachersunion.or ... s-esl.html

We urge every foreign teacher not have any dealings with this company/person as they have repeatedly breached dozens of contracts and then just dare their teachers to take them to court. Do not be fooled by Rebecca's smile and charm. She is listed on three different blacklists other than our own. We first learned of her in 2010 when she joined our CFTU blacklist.

[qsolare]

There may be a new scam starting up and I think I caught it early. I'm still verifying with the UK government but I was contacted by a man named Adel Youssef who claimed to be a Russian living in Manchester England with his family, 3 kids, and he wanted to hire me to be a tutor. Very suspicious, why not hire in the country? So I googled and searched and used every trick I know on his name, address, e-mail, and the information he gave me for a barrister (Duke Cole) who was supposed to do my visa and I couldn't find any proof they exist. When I questioned the barrister I got a bad English response that was also rude, like how dare I not trust them. If you've heard of this, please let me know, if not, please pass it on.

[Alex Case]

Sounds like a scam. These things would settle it for me:
- Is the pay ridiculously high?
- Do they accept applications from people who would never get a visa for such a job?
- Do they eventually ask for money, e.g. for arranging a visa?

Could you possibly string them along a bit more or apply again with a different identity (e.g. a non-UE one) to find out if one of these is true?

[qsolare]

The offer was $6000 a month for only 25 hrs/ wk, plus accommodation and benefits. The addresses given are empty lots on google maps. When I asked for a skype interview, the request was ignored. He didn't ask for references, check the ones I gave anyway, ask for an interview, or any personal information at all, which you'd think he'd want for someone about to com live with his kids. And I'm not British, I'm American living in Turkey. Why hire me at all? You're living someplace you're surrounded by people willing to do the work, for a lots less.