Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Hi all,

I'm posting this here because I don't think anyone has yet mentioned this on eslHQ.

I've just received 2 strange emails from someone asking for lessons. Last time I received a similar request was half a year ago. After a bit of google researching I found that it was a known scam and some music tutors had actually fallen for it.

This is the pattern of the scam (apparently the details vary):

• You receive an email from someone whose English is a bit strange (see the actual emails below - I guess they're Nigerian). They ask how much you would charge for, say, 2 months tuition (4 lessons/week) with their daughter/son/nephew/etc.
• Naturally you get excited and send them a quote.
• Later your receive a second email, happily agreeing to your fee. Then (and this is where I got suspicious) they offer you about £1000 more than your actual quote, and ask for your name and address so that their 'agent' in the UK could send you a cheque. They also mention that their daughter/nephew/etc. needs accomodation.
• I ignored the email and some google research confirmed my suspicions:
• Apparently they send you a cheque for the huge amount. You bank it. Your bank allows you to withdraw the money before the bank has had time to check the signature + details...
• Before your bank has checked the cheque your new 'client' suddenly introduces an element of urgency... the plan has changed, there is an emergency, some of the money now needs to be immediately transferred from your account to another account. Your 'client' tells you how much is needed.
• Assuming the money is yours to do with as you please, you forward the specified amount out of your account. After a day or so, your bank tells you that the cheque bounced (or whatever the term is), and you owe your bank the amount you transferred.
• You get the picture.

So, for the record, here are the two emails I received:

1st dodgy email:
---------------------
Hello
My Name is Michael Smith,I am 52yrs old based in Northern Ireland.I got your advert placement that you are tutoring and you are interested in teaching any level,I will like to know that my daughter (Daniella Smith) is coming to the United Kingdom for long vacation and also a case study pertaining her school,she is 15yrs.I will appreciate if you could be a per-time teacher to her and you will be teaching her 2hrs a day for 5 days which will be for just 5 weeks,so do get back to me and let me know the total cost you are charging my daughter for 5 weeks duration and also let me know the date you will be available to teach her.Thanks and waiting for your reply.Kindly email me direct for prompt response to your email at : michael.smith1010i@yahoo.co.uk.You can ring me as well on 07024029807.

Regards.

Michael Smith.
-----------------------
I replied with a quote of £1000 (£25/hour)

2nd even dodgy email:
-----------------------
Hello Martin,

Thanks for the mail,i apologize for the delay in response to your message.Yes,I'm okay with the price.I want you to know that i have make an arrangement of a place where my daughter will stay during the lessons period and she will be coming from there to your place for the lessons.Moreso,I will like to let you know that my daughter is very nice,Humble,intelligent and bouyant and you will enjoy teaching her.Thanks for letting me know that you can teach her for 2hours in a day for 5 days for the duration for 5weeks so she can understand during the 5weeks lessons.I want you to know that the payment is going to be in a certified bank cheque or Bank draft drawn from U.K bank and i want you to know that i have client in the United Kingdom who is owing me will be sending the payment down to you on my behalf which the sum is ( £2,920) and i will instruct him to issue the certified bank cheque or Bank draft out to you at once,So i want you to understand me.So kindly get back to me with your full contact information where the payment will be send to and i will need the following details as follows:-

Full Name ........
Full Address.......
Postal code......
City...........
Mobile Number....

As soon as the cheque arrived and have it cashed,I will like you to deduct your funds for the lessons and i am compesation you a extra £40 for your stress and inconveniences through the process while the remaining funds will be wire transfer to the travel agency that will take care of my daughter trip to your location before the lessons period and all other expenses during her stay.Daniella should be in England first week of August and start the lessons,she is available at anytime for the lessons.

Thanks for your time and i will be waiting to read from you soonest to confirm that you got my e-mail.

All The Best.

Michael Smith.
--------------------------------------


All the best,
Martin

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Hi Martin

Thanks for the heads up on the scam! Pretty clever and simple on their part.

Hopefully this will prevent a few teachers from getting scammed. I'll stick this thread on the homepage of eslHQ.

Eric

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Hi Martin,

thanks for the warning. I have never received messages like that but I would certainly fall for the first one. Thanks again!

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Great. Perhaps I'll post it on other forums as well. I agree it's quite clever.
Exactly! That's what makes it clever. When it happened to me last year (for the first time) I was delighted to read the first email! I couldn't believe my luck!

It's worth saying that from time to time I get emails which I, at first, suspect are scams, but later turn out to be genuine enquiries, so I think it's a good idea to give the first email the benefit of the doubt. Only when you start getting weird money transfer suggestions, should you ignore them.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

fortunately the second letter is pretty easily seen through. when they become skilled enough to fool us all the way, it will become dangerous, don't you think?

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Look what I have just got and please tell me your opinion. I think it's a scam.


Dear Teacher,

Greetings from Kelvin Juliet Magus Family,


We are French family working and living in the United Kingdom, We have a Daughter that is 4 years old and we looking for an English and Mathematics teacher from Any Country that can speak English and is willing to stay with us for a minimum of 24 Months.

We got your details from your Labor consultant (naukri.com) and we decided to contact you, to discuss the possibilities of having you as our private teacher in the spirit of cultural exchange.

We are a laid-back and happy family. I work for Exxon mobil Oil and Gas Company in the UK United Kingdom, I work as the Project Manager and my wife Juliet is working with Lloyds TSB Bank plc UK, and we have a Daughter called JESSICA. Our Daughter goes to school 5 days a week from 8.45am to 2pm but we are not good in English Speech and written. Plus Mathematics.

This effectively means that we are limited to certain association with most people around because we are bad in English. JESSICA is very easy going and as such you can get along with her easily. Your accommodation would be fully furnished and we would be paying you 4100GBP MONTHLY throughout the duration of your stay with us.

We shall make available a vehicle for you to use if you can drive, we would also pay your travel expenses. Our Relationship with people around us means so much to us hence we are offering this salary so that you can put in your best while teaching us.


Sequel to the Private Teacher advertisement made, we have reviewed your information from our labor consultant naukrigulf.com for a possible job engagement with us and we also wish to inform you that we need your information to see if you are eligible to regulate my Daughter Academically.

You are to fill in the below gap in bold letters and send it back to us to enable I and my wife to look into it alongside our family lawyer to see if you are eligible to Teach my daughter.

You are to provide us with your:



A copy of your picture should be scan and send to us through an email
Attachment so that we will know who we are dealing with:.

Scanned copy of your Valid International Passport should also be
Provided to us for the obtaining of your Visa Materials and other
travel document that will enable you come down to UK immediately for
your job as your travel visa, work permit and your air ticket only
will be provided by us.

Once we confirm all the above information from your side, we will go ahead and provide you with our family pictures for you to know the people you are coming to stay with.

We will also provide you with our Official Number and Home number for further communication.

Best Regards
Kelvin Juliet Magus Family.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

I sent all required documents and here is what they have sent in reply (btw. the mentioned naukri.com is an Indian job-founder site):


Dear PRIVATE TEACHER ,urgent responses needed Kelvin Juliet for the Family

After discussing about your application with my Wife and our family lawyer, we have decided to hire you as my Daughter,s Private Teacher.

We have agreed to pay you 4100 Great Britain Pounds monthly for this service.

We have attached all the terms and condition that governs my family which you have to follow with a due Process,and this will enable you stay and live with us happily here in UK while taking care of my Daughter ( JESSICA ) Academically.


Any controversy that arises out of or relates to this agreement, or the breach of it, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules of the United Kingdom Arbitration Association or with our Family lawyer.

If you are not ready to be my family Private Teacher, please do well to decline this offer with immediate effect for us to reserve the position for some other serious and committed Private Teacher applicant coming for the post.

See above the attached picture file of my House and Sitting Room where you are going to stay and my Family picture for pictures identification also to know WHO you are dealing with.

Please do well to go through the attached PDF contract agreement letter, read it carefully and after accepting the terms and condition, you are required to sign a page and send it back to us.

You will also see the email address of the UNITED KINGDOM BOARDER HOME OFFICE.
You have to immediately send email to the UK Boarder Home Office for the preparation of your Certificate of Eligibility that will permit.

fro me to start the processing of Visa and travel document Your traveling effects will be arranged as a matter of urgency without delay as we informed you that your travel Visa is Free.
Please note that all tax expenses will be take care off .

contact details of the UK Boarder Home Office.
Name: Wilson Gudman.

Email:
uk-boarder-agency@live.co.uk
wilsongudman@homeoffice-gov.org

Office Address: UK Border Agency,
PO Box 3468,
Sheffield, S3 8WA

Land-line:
+447024046821
+447024015816

Office Telephone:
+447024061920
+447024019688

Meanwhile we hope you will act responsibly as we hope to see you soon.On behalf of my family, I CONGRATULATE and look forward to Welcoming you to our warm and friendly family.

Land-line:

+447024024649
+447024062853

House Telephone No:

+447024063704
+447024021872

Best Regards,
Kelvin Juliet for the Family




and then attached photos of the family, their (luxurious) house, a scan of contract agreement etc.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

and here are the photos:

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Hi Beatrix,
Smells a bit fishy to me. I don't believe they are French. They don't make typically 'French' mistakes in their English. I also don't trust those email addresses. Why are they going to the trouble of getting someone from Belgrade to come to the UK when they could easily get a local English tutor? Be careful of sending them scans of your passport. Maybe they want to make forgeries.
Best wishes
Martin

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

hello, yes, the same thing also looked suspicious to me. They are definitely frauds, I have done google search and have found some other people who received the same e-mail.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

I NEVER entertain offers like the ones mentioned. When I go to a new town I walk through the front door of a well-known school/tutoring agency and apply there directly.

I learned the hard way by hucksters (on-line and offline) in Thailand that pose as recruiters! A lot of teachers end up NEVER getting paid at all!

BTW, Thailand is just about the WORST place to teach English. The schools resemble human zoos more than classrooms!

I'm happily employed by a well-know firm in Malaysia.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

************************************************
OMG thanx Beatrix for the post this is just what I was looking for. My sister just recv exactly the same email from this people same name address and everything. She signed up in a website for jobseekers wayback 2008 ang got this email yesterday. I googled the phone no and this lead me to this site. I knew it was a scam just by the contract. Thank You again. Whewwww.::p

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Thank you Martin (I hope this is your real name!!) for posting this. I too got targetted today and was very suspicious. The email I got was:
Hello,

My Name is Michael Smith,I am 52yrs old based in Northern Ireland.I got your advert placement that you are tutoring and you are interested in teaching any level,I will like to know that my daughter (Lindsay Smith) is coming to the United Kingdom for long vacation and also a case study pertaining her school,she is 14yrs.I will appreciate if you could be a per-time teacher to her and you will be teaching her 2hrs a day for 5 days which will be for just 5 weeks,so do get back to me and let me know the total cost you are charging my daughter for 5 weeks duration and also let me know the date you will be available to teach her.Thanks and waiting for your reply.Kindly email me direct for prompt response to your message at : michael.smith1010@yahoo.co.uk and you can also ring me on 07024029807.
Regards.
Michael Smith.

Followed by:

Hello Sylvie,
Thanks for your prompt response.I am glad that you are available to teach my daughter Lindsay.I'd like you to know that she is average(intermediate) in French and she is interested in French oral language and grammar which she need to be more improve so she can be perfect.She should arrive London by the end of September so that the lessons can commenced the 1st week of October.I believe that is not a problem?I will make an arrangement of a place where my daughter will stay in London which will not quite far from your place of teaching so she can be coming from there to your teaching arena.Let me know the total cost for the duration stated in my previous email so that i can set up and seal an arrangement with you. Note that you will be teaching her 2 hours per day for 5 days for the duration of 5 weeks.
Thanks fore your time,whilst hoping to hear from you soonest.
Regards.
Michael Smith.

and finally:

Hello Sylvie,
Thanks for the mail and thanks for your understanding.I'm okay with the price which is (£2,500) in total for 5 weeks.I want you to know that i will make an arrangement of a place where my daughter will stay during the lessons period and she will be coming from there to your place for the lessons.Moreso,I will like to let you know that my daughter is very nice,Humble,intelligent and bouyant and you will enjoy teaching her.Thanks for letting me know that you can teach her for 2 hours in a day for 5 days for the duration for 5 weeks so she can understand during the 5 weeks lessons.I want you to know that the payment is going to be in a certified bank cheque or Bank draft drawn from U.K bank and i want you to know that i have client in the United Kingdom who is owing me will be sending the payment down to you on my behalf which the sum is ( £4,380) and i will instruct him to issue the certified bank cheque or Bank draft out to you at once,So i want you to understand me.So kindly get back to me with your full contact information where the payment will be send to and i will need the following details as follows:-

Full Name ........
Full Address.......
Postal code......
City...........
Mobile Number....

As soon as the cheque arrived and have it cashed,I will like you to deduct your funds for the lessons and i am compensation you a extra £40 for your stress and inconveniences through the process while the remaining funds will be wire transfer to the travel agency that will take care of my daughter trip to your location before the lessons period and all other expenses during her stay.
Thanks for your time and i will be waiting to read from you soonest to confirm that you got my e-mail.No,she won't be attending school in London as she will only be in London on a long vacation so while she will be there, you will be her French teacher.My daughter will be available at anytime that convenient for you so its all depends on you .Anytime you schedule for the lessons is fine.
All The Best.
Michael Smith.

So....a complete scam. BEWARE. How we alert others I don't know. I advertised in ICI LONDRES so beware. I intend to send this to the London Metro and Ici Londres. Please disseminate as far as possible.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Do you have a spam/phishing detector on your email - like Norton for example? if so you should be able to notify them of these messages - which means they'll automatically be marked any time they arrive in the email boxes of anyone else with the same spam detector. If you have Norton, select the message, then click on Norton Antispam and "This is spam".

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

I thought this one was a scam right off. I am not an esl teacher, none of my research is in the field. This is the third email I have received. I deleted the first two but the messages have been identical. This needs to be put out there so no one is taken advantage of. Here is the letter:
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 Thomas Clark,

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Wonderful - he's supposed to be Russian and therefore understandably makes loads of language errors, but has an English name. He's supposed to be living in England but will pay in US dollars. If anyone falls for this one they deserve to be scammed :lol:

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

Thanks for sharing this useful info, I too have received similar emails and even unsolicited skype contacts from the same group of scammers.

Re: Beware of email scams requesting tutors - they are getting cleverer!
 

i've already got trapeed by these scammer emails. will definitely look it much closer. thanks for posting. can i come back in case i would have questions to ask? thanks!