Job Discussion Forums

[Squiggles]

I just want to warn people that there are fake jobs being advertised on various tefl jobsites for this school. I very nearly fell for the scam.

Before I write any more and everyone reading this decides I am a huge fool, I would like to point out that I did do my research. The school exists, I researched it on the internet, I looked at it on google street view and read at a couple of teacher's C.V.s on LinkedIn who had written that they had worked at the school. I didn't go into this with my eyes closed and had no reason to be suspicious until yesterday.

I had an interview over Skype just over a week ago and was offered a well paid teaching position at the school and the school said they would also cover the cost of accommodation & flights.

I received an e-mail advising me of the booking agent who would be organising my flight to Santiago de Composte. I contacted the agent and they sent me some flight details which I was to agree to. I replied saying this information was fine and that the school were paying for this. In response I received another e-mail stating that I should pay the agent for the flight via Western Union and this would be repaid to me once I got to Spain.

Seeing the words Western Union instantly set alarm bells ringing in my head.

I contacted the school and said that if I am required to pay for the flight up front, I would prefer to book it myself.

All night, it prayed on my mind... Western Union, notorious for being used to allow people to scam money. So I decided to do some extensive internet research. I trawled TEFL forums before finding a thread about the very school I have been offered a job at, in fact detailing almost identically the offer I have been made.

Sure enough, the school does exist but there is someone pretending to be from the school. Has set up an email account cleverly disguised to look like the real one and has been advertising a job as though it were the school in order to steal money from people like me.

I have never felt so foolish in my life. Thankfully, I haven't been stupid enough to hand any money over but I have turned down a genuine job offer thinking I had this one in the bag.

Take note, be warned.

[IanN]

[pr455]

Thanks for telling us, but have you contacted the school and told them about this? Don't stop here. Let the school know right away.

[spiral78]

If we haven't already got a sticky here saying that jobs aren't normally found from abroad in this region and that wages are basically subsistence level, there should be one!!

I agree that 'Western Union' was not at all the first warning sign here!!!

[Squiggles]

I was looking for my first tefl job, perhaps other people would have spotted it early, I didn't.

Yes, I have informed the school of what is happening.

[uh huh]

I'm really sorry to hear your first search turned out this way. Best of luck to you!

[desertanimal]

Squiggles, I too have been a victim of this Scam. I wasn't sure about it until I read your post. Thank you so much! By the way, what did the school say about it??

[Squiggles]

The school have reported it to the police in Spain and the fraud is being investigated.

I hope you didn't hand any money over?