Job Discussion Forums

[akolsky1]

I have subscribed to their email list ESL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM--but not sure of their validity because there are two emails that they [email protected] and then when I contacted them they told me to answer a series of 20 questions and email the answers and my resume to this email: [email protected] The fact that there is no contact phone or contact person on their website, www.eslemploymentprogram.tk makes me suspicious. Has anyone worked through them before or even heard of them? Any information would be great. Here is part of their message below:
"This is to notify you that all your informations/application has been submitted to the school Authority for assessment due to the urgent demand of Esl teacher. Please, you have to contact the School Authority through Email: [email protected] so that your employment packages will be process urgently. We thank you for your co-operations and patience."

[johnslat]

Dear akolsky1,

Beware the dreaded .tk

"I applied on line for a Teaching job in Dubai through Workcircle UK at www.workcircle.co.uk. I received a reply from the Emirates Government Langauge Education Centre ( [email protected])
asking me to fill out an application form, which I did and submitted it. A reply came back offering me a job on a 1 year contract with the school and asking me to contact the Department of Naturalization & Residency Dubai to arrange visas, work permits and residence for 1 year. ([email protected]).
I was asked to fill in forms and then submit by western union $770 for 2 visas. My new contract was to start 2nd February 2009. A day later I was then asked to send a further $2,000 for 'legal' fees and DHL. I stopped any further progress and posted this as a warning. The TK ending was the givaway, which I should have picked up and the telephone numbers quoted didn't work. I am worse off, by more wiser.
The reason these criminals setup the .tk accounts was so they could obtain free email addresses [email protected] and [email protected]

[akolsky1]

Johnslat-
Wow--thanks so much for sharing your info and experience. I am so sorry you had to be scammed, but at least you did gain much wisdom from that experience. I have been scammed in the past too--not realted to ESL jobs, but other things. I am learning--if a job seems to good to be true, it probably isn't and if a recruiter/school asks you to pay, it most likely is a scam. I just heard thru someone who taught in Korea for 10 yrs, that the schools pay the recruiters and so the ESL teachers should not have to send any money in. I am sure there are some exceptions to that rule, but if there is a contact person and number, then at least those things can be verified. So did you end up going somewhere else to teach or are you still looking? Thanks again for replying.

[johnslat]

Dear akolsky1,
Ooops - my fault for not giving the website. It wasn't I that was scammed:

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/scamalerts/index.pl?read=22

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=736846

http://www.esljobfind.com/main_bw.php?action=8&bw_id=201

There have been a number of threads on the topic of the .tk web address on Dave's, especially in the Middle East forums.

But I'd imagine a good number of people have, unfortunately, fallen for it.
I taught in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia for a total of about 22 years,

Regards,
John