Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

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Cricket
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Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Cricket »

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Spotting a Teacher job scam these days is not easy because of the many devious advertising and website tricks used by professional con artists that have perfected their predator skills over the last 20 years. But here are four sure-fire ways to use that will keep you safe and off the victim lists of identity thieves, and the many "exploiters" who lock you into crappy jobs abroad with even crappier contracts. After almost 10 years of teaching abroad in 5 countries, I would rate these three methods as your 5 Star defense against TEFL fraud...

1) Use the "7 question checklist" which was designed by the China Scam Patrol: https://opnlttr.com/letter/china-esl-te ... am-artists. This method take about 15 minutes on the phone and internet. Very short, quick, and avoids arguments.

2) Other veteran expat teachers like to use the more detailed 25 Red Flag check-list which usually ends up with the fraudsters hanging up on you after the 5th or 6th question. Those that have nothing to hide will cooperate fully with you. https://eslwatch.info/en/articles/asia- ... nteed.html

3) This method I call the passive defense in which you do not even have to speak to the slick sales people who will only tell you what they want you to know or believe. With this method you only have to visit https://reddit.com/r/teflscams or https://ruqqus.com/+TEFLReviews or https://reddit.com/r/TEFLreviews and make a quick search.

No matter which method you use, you will be 99% scam-proof and ready to cherry pick the teaching job you want most without fear of skimmers, scammers, and identity thieves. Good luck!


The fourth way? Do nothing and you will spot them... too late!
Before sending off your resume or passport scan, be sure to check https://reddit.com/r/teflscams and to vaccinate yourself against foreign teacher job scams.
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Vagabond
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Vagabond »

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Yes, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. But I'm not sure I agree with your 4th method! You know you forgot to mention a couple of things Cricket. Most Asian countries have no equivalent of the BBB (Better Business Bureau) or FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and so if you do have a problem you have to make a police report and send a copy to the Minister of Labor and Minister of Education with a complaint letter. Yes, I know it sounds very bureaucratic and it is. But in China it actually works IF on your cover letter you include a few cc: at the bottom to:

CC:
Foreign Minister Wang Yi (or whoever it may be at the time
SAFEA Executive Director Pan Gongsheng (or whoever it may be at the time)
Chairman CCP Disciplinary Committee Wang QiShan (Or whoever it may be at the time)


It is easy to get the mailing addresses from the internet or CFTU newsletter. I used this trick twice and it worked both times, and on the second instance the agent who was selling resumes and passport scans to anyone who had $50 was deported with a permanent re-entry ban. A colleague of mine also used it on a black school called EZ English and a SAFEA rep went with two cops and shut them down for operating without a SAIC business license. The owner was fined 100,000 rmb and my colleague was paid the 22,000 in back pay owed to him. That school re-opened after getting a SAIC biz license and posting a performance bond. But I guarantee you they never screwed over another foreigner. BTW, we had gotten this advice from a CTA newsletter.

But one thing I noticed with China officials... They really have no incentive to do their jobs unless they see that another official higher up on the ladder is being advised of the situation and getting copies of everything.


Obviously, this is just for China and you'd have to find the right officials in other countries where you experience the problems you can't solve on your own.
Before taking any teaching job in China make a quick visit over to https://reddit.com/r/ChinaScamCentral and https://reddit.com/r/TEFLreviews so your dream job does not become a nightmare.
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Atlas »

Whooooaaa! Vagabond your idea only works with teachers who are working LEGALLY in China - with a Z visa, with a real police certificate, and with a real university degree (that will be verified). Any fake teacher who calls the cops for anything (even noisy neighbors) will soon find themselves in a Chinese clink for 30 days waiting to be deported! And to add insult to injury they will have to pay a 10,000 rmb fine as well. This is one of the many reasons principals of black market schools and training centers love to hire cheap teachers on tourist, business, or student visas - they know she can make them vanish any time they cause any grief for the school. And that is why the very same black market teachers will seldom, if ever collect their last pay check or a release letter!

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Look Before You Leap at https://reddit.com/r/teflscams
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Cricket
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Cricket »

Let's hope this post gets circulated to as many teachers as possible!
Before sending off your resume or passport scan, be sure to check https://reddit.com/r/teflscams and to vaccinate yourself against foreign teacher job scams.
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Atlas »

This is why I am going to start tutoring private students more and working for others less. Less stress and less grief, and more $$$
Look Before You Leap at https://reddit.com/r/teflscams
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John V55
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by John V55 »

In the meantime, let’s hope you can get rid of those $$$ signs in your eyes and you don’t try it in Asia and get yourself deported again. :)
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Vagabond »

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I don't recall seeing anyone here deported John. But as I just stated in another post, you will never get rich teaching in China unless you own the school. You can however earn over $100,000 a year in another profession if you make the effort to learn Chinese. And teaching introduces you to hundreds of great contacts (parents) who can help you make the transition if you ever get tired of teaching. https://ruqqus.com/+TeachInChina/post/4 ... -to-double

In the meantime friends, enjoy your stay in China and do your best to avoid the scams with the tips discussed above. You don't have to be paranoid, just a little diligent and cautious in who you give your personal information to.My last tip to you all is to never upload your resume online ANYWHERE in any country. This will tell you why: https://chinascamwatch.wordpress.com
Before taking any teaching job in China make a quick visit over to https://reddit.com/r/ChinaScamCentral and https://reddit.com/r/TEFLreviews so your dream job does not become a nightmare.
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Blue Moon
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Blue Moon »

Thanks for the great advice and links, but it is over a year too late for me. I got totally fucked by "Ted" (may not be his real name) at ForeignHR.com and the greedy bastards at Beile Education Group that run a chain of schools called Best Learning. They have a dozen different ways to screw their teachers including fake tax deductions, unpaid over-time, pay shortages that drag on for weeks, and the most one-way contract I have ever seen (after I got it translated into English!). Had I seen your links I would never have even sent of my resume. Although I praise your efforts, most teachers are too busy at the pub or watching TV to be spending time investigating employers on the internet. Kudos for your efforts however.
Watch your step in China. There is a pile of shit waiting for your foot around every corner that only laowai seem to step in. See https://reddit.com/r/workabroadfraud.
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Tiger
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Re: Art, IB, TOEFL, Subject, IELTS, AP and TEFL Teacher Job Scams - How To Spot and Avoid Them in 5 Minutes

Unread post by Tiger »

There's a lot to digest in this thread but OP has woken me up to why I am getting paid less than my colleagues at our school even though we are all working the same hours and teaching the same curriculum. I was hired through an agent along with one other foreign teacher and we are paid 5,000 rmb less than the other teachers who were direct hires.
I suggest every TEFL teacher take a visit to https://reddit.com/r/TEFLscams BEFORE they send off their resumes.
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