Job Discussion Forums

[jonniboy]

IS IT A SCAM? FAQ

With the number of scams involving English language teaching seemingly on the increase, I thought I�d point out a few common features to watch out for in order to help people avoid losing hard earned cash to these crooks.

Here are some common features and questions you should consider when judging if a job offer is genuine or not.

1.) Is it a genuine International School? There are many reputable international schools around but for some reason scamsters seem to most often use �XYZ International School� for their bogus company names and often claim that they have been newly established. In this case google the school and ask about it on websites such as this one. If no one has heard of it then there�s a fair chance it�s not genuine.

2.) Do they have the contact details that you would expect a reliable company to have? In other words an address that exists, a landline and a company e-mail. Reputable schools generally don�t operate using a mobile number and a yahoo e-mail address as a point of contact. Googling the address on google maps can also help as this will display the contact details of companies which actually are based at that address. If in any doubt phone them and ask them if they share their address with a language school.

3.) Do they have a website? Many scammers are clever enough to set up a website for their school just to get your money. However the lazier or more technologically illiterate among them will often fob you off with the old �we are a new school and our website is under construction� excuse. Beware.

4.) Does their ad contain noticeable spelling and grammar mistakes? These are not unknown in English language ads but if the school is boasting about being British run/having a high number of satisfied foreign teachers it's strange that they didn't ask anyone to copyedit their ad.

5.) Can you speak to previous native speaker teachers? If they are for real they shouldn't have a problem with that.

6.) Do the terms offered seem realistic for the local market that they operate in? This is where a bit of research is essential. As an example, many scams use companies allegedly based in Spain. In Spain due to the supply issue i.e. a large number of teachers already there on the ground, teachers will generally be lucky to get more than 1300 euro a month net and they will not be provided with flat, private health insurance or return airfare. Working there, as in many countries, will often involve split shifts and evening work. So if a job promises you terms that wildly deviate from that, it�s time to be wary. Remember: if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

7.) Did you get the job a little too easily? They�ve advertised this job with a high salary, free flat, health insurance, return flights, private chauffeur, masseur and God knows what else and have given it to you without so much as an interview. If an alarm bell doesn't ring at this point then maybe the 'rewarding, satisfying retail career' would suit you better than teaching. Obviously, if the position pays well then the hiring process will normally be tough.

8.) Do they promise visa sponsorship in a country where this is generally difficult to obtain? In 99% of cases schools in Spain, Italy and Western European countries have sufficient teachers already there to fill all vacancies. They will not go out of their way to go through all the cost and bureaucratic hassle of acquiring visas for non-EU teachers who may not show up anyway.

9.) The most crucial one of all: do they ask you to send them money? This can either be for �visa processing� , �a commitment fee� or �a deposit for accommodation.� In all cases they will promise to refund this after you arrive. In all cases this money will disappear faster than you can say �advance fee fraud.� Genuine schools will never ever ask you for this. Send nothing and you will have lost nothing other than the time you�ve spent writing a few e-mail messages.

[Samwise]

Is the "Don't send money" thing 100% true? I've had my eye on a few places that ask for a deposit and. . :-/ Man, I had my hopes up.

Also, how reliable are CraigsList ads?

[jonniboy]

I think you'd be very ill advised to send any sort of money for doing a job even if the company is on the level which is unlikely. Ultimately why risk it?

[fladude]

Send me the money and I'll let you know if it was a scam or not.

[Glenski]

[Madame J]

What about if it's a job listings website that requires a joining fee? I've had my doubts about those, but haven't actually had it confirmed by anyone as to whether they're likely to be a scam or not.

[SueH]

[Madame J]