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Avoiding scams

TEFL jobs / Scams

While the great majority of schools advertising jobs are genuine, reputable businesses, the TEFL profession, like any other, attracts its fair share of disreputable employers and individuals seeking to exploit teachers for financial gain.

It is therefore important to be aware of some of the warning signs to look out for when searching for a job...

Employers requesting money
Most reputable employers do not ask for money from applicants "up front" for any reason. One of the most common requests of scammers is to ask for money to pay for visa applications or other paperwork.

Offers which seem too good to be true
If you see an employer offering a salary of $3000 in a country where others are offering $800, then it probably is too good to be true.

Employers offering you a job without speaking to you first, or expecting you to accept a job without seeing a contract.

The most important thing is to do your research before accepting any offer of employment. Talk to other teachers, look in TEFL forums on this site and others, do an internet search for the name of the school or the contact person. Even searching for the contact email address or phone number can reveal that they were used in past scams.

If you are at all concerned about any job advert on eslbase, please contact us immediately.



More resources

Scams forum - check here for recent scam warnings
TEFL forums - ask other teachers about their experience with a school
Guide to finding a TEFL job - more useful tips

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