Known Scams - Do not respond to these!!!

[Josef Essberger]

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
@ sultanbritishschool.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!

[Josef Essberger]

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.

[Josef Essberger]

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

[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.

[Kensai]

Hey does anyone know anything about this site:

http://www.teachtotravel.co.uk

I saw a job I'm really interested in but my Norton Internet Security has flagged it as having a potential phishing scam.

[qsolare]

i worked for teach to travel in istanbul. they also go by teachers in turkey, teach in turkey, and leeds academy. they are not a scam but they are awful to work for. avoid.

[Kensai]

Right thanks for the heads up qsolare ;-)

[serah]

I am currently apply for ESL jobs. Please let me know if you have any knowledge of this company. Their website is http://www.chase.ie. One of the man asked me to forward my cv with passport as well as other documents. Please Please Please let me know if they are legit. Thank you

[Susan]

Go ahead and forward your CV but do not part with any other documents. Wait until you meet him, have a job contract and then you can photocopy your documents, show him the originals and hand over the copies.

[sebeid]

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.

I've received the same.

[jennlkbusa]

I was recently contacted by what I think may be a scammer. Has anyone else received an e-mail from a Cheng-Gong Da, a Chinese man who recently moved to West Yorkshire and is looking for a tutor for his wife and two young children? It's the "too good to be true" nature of the job that makes me a bit suspicious - why e-mail someone from the USA when he lives in England and could find plenty of English tutors that would cost him much less? Anyway, it's not completely unreasonable, but if anyone has some insight I would appreciate it.

Jenn

[Josef Essberger]

There have been several similar offers, not necessarily from this character, but their nature is always suspicious. One imagines that there might be one or two English tutors in West Yorkshire, let alone the United Kingdom, without having to fly one in.

[Naomira]

I have just been contacted by Adel Youssef who claims to be a Russian, living in Manchester, England and looking for a teacher, for his family. I noticed that he had been mentioned in previous posts and seemed to be attempting to scam job-seekers. This is just a reminder not to respond to this person.

[rensvdweiden]

Today I also got a response from this Adel Youssef, youssefadel70@gmail.com, the same scammer as mentioned in other posts:

Hello Teacher,
I got to know that you are an Esl teacher on an esl
teaching job site and i decided to contact you to know if you will be
able to come to Manchester England to tutor my family

We are Moscow Russia living in England.I will need a teacher who will
come to Manchester and tutor my family for a period of 1 and half
years.

I will give you accommodation and also will pay you monthly of
US$6,000 which is US$2,000/child monthly.

Though i have seen your brief CV but i will like you to send me your
updated CV,picture and also your availability date

Cheers
Mr.ADEL YOUSSEF

[davido]

i worked for teach to travel in istanbul. they also go by teachers in turkey, teach in turkey, and leeds academy. they are not a scam but they are right bastards to work for. avoid.

qsolare, could you please tell me the pros and cons for working for Teachers In Turkey? I would be most grateful. Thanks!!!

[Kruemel1]

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.

I was wondering how this all ended. I'm currently going through a very similar situation... Native Russian looking to hire me (American with no working rights in UK) to tutor his three kids. He says he'll pay very well and organize the visa with no cost to me.

[John V55]

Yes, they’re scams, many originating from Nigeria, but I suppose others have also got hold of the idea. They all offer very lucrative contracts to go and teach English in the UK, which together with the inflated salary is the dead giveaway. A bit like exporting sand to Saudi Arabia. For a while they replaced the, ‘I’ve got $12 m I want to share with you’, but seem to be coming back into fashion. In a country of free compulsory education, no one is going to pay you an inflated salary for tutoring.

For those that do get sucked into this obvious scam, the request for money, for one reason or another, will eventually surface.

[Awalls86]

Could ask the barrister when he was called to the bar, which inns of court he attended and then check it here - http://www.legalhub.co.uk
As expected - no Duke Cole.