How to Avoid Common TEFL Job Scams

Teaching abroad is a big deal, and falling victim to a scam can waste finances, energy, and your enthusiasm towards a great opportunity. However, at Go Overseas, we want you to have the best experience teaching English abroad or online. The opportunity for cultural immersion, international work experience, and traveling the world is too good to pass up on because of infrequent but pesky scams. 

Looking for the best TEFL course or a rewarding experience teaching abroad? Here’s how you can avoid common TEFL scams. 

No, however, it’s important to realize that scams exist in every country and industry. What makes TEFL scams deceiving is that the industry is unfamiliar to many people, and when you combine that with moving to a country that has foreign practices and work culture, it can be difficult differentiating the genuine from the fake. 

TEFL scams come in many forms and can exploit you in different ways. Before we learn about how to avoid TEFL scams, it’s worth knowing about some of the most common TEFL scams and how they work: 

• Free or cheap TEFL course: Advertising free or extremely cheap TEFL courses that aren’t accredited by an authoritative body. Each TEFL course should have a licensed number from a regulated and accredited body. If not, it could mean time wasted studying an unregulated course which isn’t recognized by employers or schools.
• Fake TEFL job: Scammers may advertise TEFL jobs that don’t actually exist. Often, these jobs will almost seem too good to be true, offering a perfect salary, location, and work-life balance with low job requirements. Once you pay a program, administrative, or visa fee, the scammer will “ghost” you and vanish with the cash. This is an example of financial fraud, but it can also involve identity theft.
• School or company impersonation: Sometimes, you may come across a school or company advertising a fake job. However, they pose as an existing and reputable school or agency to scam applicants. They may use a similar email address and even have links to real profiles on their email or website, but have zero affiliation with these institutions.
• Last-minute contract changes: You may be offered a real TEFL job, but the recruiter made false promises or the employer modifies the contract at the last minute. Often, last-minute changes include additional work, unpaid overtime, a lower salary, or something else. Unfortunately, this is not entirely uncommon, especially with entry-level teachers.

It’s important that you can recognize some of the TEFL red flags in order to avoid falling victim to a scam. 

• “Too good to be true” TEFL job: If the job offers higher pay, low hours, a dream location, and zero requirements, it may be too good to be true.
• No website (or poor design): TEFL companies without a website or with very poorly designed ones may be a scam. While poor website design alone isn’t indicative of a TEFL scam, it doesn’t imply that they’re trying to establish long-term credibility.
• No address or registration number: A TEFL company should also be registered in an address and have a company registration number. However, a scammer may pose as another company and have a false registered number or address on its profile.
• Very few or negative reviews: Negative reviews will give you a better idea of issues with this agency or company. If it has no reviews, it implies that it has recently been made. You can find reputable teach abroad programs right here on GO, and browse through thousands of real, verified reviews from program participants!
• Lack of alumni members: TEFL companies market their credentials and services through satisfied alumni members. Blogs, instagram posts, and positive reviews over a stretch of time strongly indicate that the company is authentic.
• Money upfront: Recruiters make money by earning commission from schools, therefore won’t ask for payment from teachers. However, while many legitimate TEFL programs do require program fees to confirm your place, they won’t hassle or pressure you into doing so unless you have spoken to a staff member.

When you find a potential TEFL course or TEFL job opportunity, put on your private investigator’s hat and get ready to research extensively. 

It may be the case that the school exists, but the recruiter or TEFL company seems shady. Since there are many aspects to consider, take the time to research and scrutinize each and every factor. 

When researching the company’s background, consider the following tips:

• Check out reviews on job reviewing websites such as Glassdoor or Indeed, or right here on Go Overseas!
• Look up the company on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram to see if they have a strong presence or following online.
• Find out and look up the registered company number.
• Research whether the company is mentioned on Reddit to see if other people have shared their experience with their services.

If the company is registered in an address and has a company number, has alumni members sharing their experience and positive reviews online (like here at GO!), then it’s likely a reliable TEFL job!  

Maybe you’ve been promised an amazing TEFL job in South Korea. Despite zero job requirements, the description says it’s in the heart of Seoul, with a whopping salary of $2,500+ USD per month, with housing and benefits, and very few teaching hours or admin work. However, after researching the market, you realize that most entry-level TEFL jobs in this country offer around $1,700 USD per month, and that jobs in this location are not only scarce but competitive. 

It’s important to research the market to understand what you should expect. Not only will this help you avoid TEFL scams, but it will help you negotiate the best deal in the future. 

To research the job market, ask yourself:

• What are the job requirements for these TEFL jobs?
• What are the salary expectations for your level of experience and qualification?
• What are common job responsibilities and required hours for this salary?
• How does the salary fluctuate from one location to another? For example, TEFL jobs in Beijing will offer higher salaries than in rural areas of China.

While finding a TEFL job independently can help you find the best salary, it can be difficult. This is because most schools work with recruiters or third-party programs, and may not be directly contactable. 

When you’re a first-time teacher, it’s a good idea to venture abroad with a TEFL program or a recruiter. If you’re going to search for TEFL jobs independently, at least use a reputable and experienced job posting forum! 

Here are some ways you can maximize security when looking for a TEFL job: 

• Apply to TEFL programs: TEFL programs partner directly with in-country recruiters and schools. Often, they’ll combine TEFL courses and job placements with extensive pre-departure and in-country support, which is why they require program fees. Examples of reputable TEFL programs on Go Overseas include CIEE, International TEFL Academy, The Fewer Things, Teach Away, and more. As a first-time teacher, it’s sometimes easier to go abroad with an established, reputable company that offers extensive pre-departure and in-country support.
• Search job boards: If you’re adamant about searching for jobs independently, you can explore new job postings from companies around the globe on our teaching jobs board! Job board websites like Dave’s ESL Cafe are also a good option, however just remember that like with any TEFL job opportunity, you should still proceed with caution. Many job board websites allow TEFL companies to advertise positions, and it’s not impossible for red flags to appear on certain jobs.

Always do your research until you’re 100% sure before paying for anything. A pushy salesman may be a red flag of a scammer trying to quickly close a “sale.” Scammers may demand payment for administrative or visa fees, or pressure you into securing your job by paying early. 

However, do note that if you do go with a TEFL program, it does often require payment which covers not only the TEFL course and guaranteed job, but pre-departure support, in-country orientation, and so on. Any administrative fees will already be included in the program payment, and any visa or work permit fees should be paid to an embassy directly. 

You should initially have an onboarding call or interview with a staff member of the TEFL company or recruiter who you’re working with. During this call, you can establish your TEFL jobs preferences, what to expect from life abroad, the logistical process of working abroad, and so on. Here, you can establish a rapport with the staff member and recognize credibility within the company. 

If you’re still unsure, don’t be afraid to ask to speak to other staff members or previous alumni members on social media. You’re not “going over anyone’s head,” you’re just researching further before committing to a big life change. 

When you check out a TEFL provider’s instagram page, you’ll often find insight from TEFL teachers who took the same path. TEFL teachers are often grateful for their experiences abroad, and they often take time to help others who are having doubts or want insight about teaching abroad because they were in the same boat. 

Unfortunately, a very small percentage of people do fall victim to TEFL job scams. If this does ever happen, you should consider doing the following: 

• Notify your bank: Call your bank as quickly as possible to ensure that they can block or reverse any payments made.
• Share your experience to warn others: It’s never too late to help prevent others from falling victim to this scam. Detail your experience and the TEFL job details online on Glassdoor, Reddit, Google, and other platforms in order to help others know about the scam.
• Report the scam online: In the US, you can report a job scam on ReportFraud.ftc.gov, a branch of the US government. In your respective country, you can find similar websites or platforms to formally report a scam or fraud.

While scams can be a pain to scope through and weed out, don’t let these posting discourage you. The legitimate jobs far outnumber the scam ones and finding the right school to start your TEFL job is probably only a few clicks away. If you use your best judgment, read real, verified reviews and research the schools as much as you can, you’ll be sure to find the perfect TEFL job for you!

Read more about making the most of your teaching abroad adventure: 

• The 10 Best Countries to Teach English Abroad
• How to Get Started Teaching English Abroad
• Requirements to Teach English Abroad