How can I tell if an international school job is fake?

We’ve had a couple of teachers receive fake offers in the past couple of weeks (not through us I hasten to add!). There are scammers out there who are trying to get money from unsuspecting teachers. We see it every year and report them, but they keep coming back. Here’s things to look out for.

1. Did you interview for the job?  If not, it’s unlikely that the job is real. Proper schools don’t hire someone sight unseen.  Audio, rather than video interviews are suspect as well.  Think about the quality of the interview. Were you asked about your teaching, methods, pedagogy? Or did they simply ask when you can start?
2. Does the email match the school’s website?  This isn’t always foolproof as found one this week that set up a dummy website, but it’s often a good clue. If you google the school and get www.xyzschool.sch.ae and the email comes from hrxyzschool@gmail.com, be suspicious.  Don’t just look at the name on the email which can be faked, look at the email address itself.
3. Is the school listed on any reputable sites? If you google it, is it shown on lists of international schools in xyz country? Are there google or facebook reviews going back a few years? The school with the fake website above could not be found on any lists I have access to which, along with the dodgy quality of the website, confirmed my suspicions.
4. Most importantly, a school will NEVER ask you for money upfront for paperwork, visa or flights. They won’t require you to work with a particular agent for your flights or paperwork that you pay for. This is the meat of the scam- the scammers want your money. You can’t get scammed if you don’t give them money.  Yes you may have to pay for attestation or flights, but that’s always under your control and you don’t have to pay a certain company.

 
If you are uncertain, please ask. We’ve already reported two scam companies in the Middle East, and without a doubt there’s more.