Is this a Scam? email from "a with representative of MediaKids Academy"?

[ChrisTinaBruce]

I am looking to relocate and teach English in Bangkok and posted my resume. Today I received this email and noticed the return email is a gmail account (not the facilities website email) also read about scams asking for passport, degree, transcript and resume for identity fraud.

Below is the email. Any input would be appreciated.

Dear Ms Bruce,

I’m writing to you as a representative of <Deleted> , a placement agency that specializes in sending native English speaking graduates to schools across Thailand.

I saw your profile on ajarn.com and I was wondering whether you are interested in teaching in Thailand?

If you are and able to start work for the start of the school term on May 15th, can you please email me a copy of your passport, degree, transcript and resume.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I’ve attached the company information pack.

Kind regards,

<Deleted>

[mrtoad]

From what I recall they've been around for a number of years. Don't think they are a scam organisation

[stubuzz]

Don't get involved with an agency; they are only interested in their commission.

[Scott]

I have edited out some information which could present legal problems for the poster and the forum.

Many schools have a gmail account or the email goes to a foreign teacher. Teachers applying at my school send me their information to my personal email address. If I give the school's email address, the secretary will delete anything in English (she can't read it). There are several admin people who have access to the school email account and so nobody really is responsible -- especially for anything in English.

If you are in doubt, send a detailed resume, which includes your picture, your age/birthdate, nationality etc. and once contact has been established, then send the degree, transcript and copy of the passport.

I ask for this stuff and an application isn't considered until I get all of that stuff. Many people respond to an ad for a native English speaker, but they are not a native speaker from one of the approved countries. They often carefully avoid mentioning this. If the resume is detailed and there is a picture (a must in Thailand) and I can see your work experience and education, I respond if it's a good candidate. I still need all the information, but once we've established contact, then they know the school has a name, it's not an agency and other questions can be answered.

Best of luck.

[Mencken]

As I recall, running across their ads on the boards there was no mention of work permit. Please check that. Also, as I recall the job did not have enough hours not that I am intetested in teaching young kids

...just relaying info.

You can do better than "that' board as well, tta.

PS great time to be looking for work if you are NES and have a degree. You should be able to find a solid job. Get a move on!

Edited May 12, 2014 by Mencken

[lostinisaan]

Hello,

If doesn't really matter if it's serious, or not. Those people only make money by finding people like you. Just don't do it.

You should only consider to work for schools directly. Just take your resume, visit some schools and you'll be surprised how easy it will be for you, as a female teacher, to get a good job.

Be well dressed, well mannered and you'll have what you're looking for. Many schools now are desperately seeking people like you.

Please never go the agency way, if you're planning to work here longer. Best of luck from lower northeast.

Should you be interested to work in an EP here at a primary school, making around 37 K, please feel free to page me.

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Thank you for input and suggestions. I am curious how posting the information could cause legal problems? If it is legit then there should not be a issue. If it is a scam, then we should inform others.

Either way I do appreciate the assistance.

Chris Tina

I have edited out some information which could present legal problems for the poster and the forum.

Many schools have a gmail account or the email goes to a foreign teacher. Teachers applying at my school send me their information to my personal email address. If I give the school's email address, the secretary will delete anything in English (she can't read it). There are several admin people who have access to the school email account and so nobody really is responsible -- especially for anything in English.

If you are in doubt, send a detailed resume, which includes your picture, your age/birthdate, nationality etc. and once contact has been established, then send the degree, transcript and copy of the passport.

I ask for this stuff and an application isn't considered until I get all of that stuff. Many people respond to an ad for a native English speaker, but they are not a native speaker from one of the approved countries. They often carefully avoid mentioning this. If the resume is detailed and there is a picture (a must in Thailand) and I can see your work experience and education, I respond if it's a good candidate. I still need all the information, but once we've established contact, then they know the school has a name, it's not an agency and other questions can be answered.

Best of luck.

[Scott]

If you have questions about moderation, it is advised that you contact a moderator directly. We do not allow for name and shame topics for legal reasons; here is the rule:

6) Do not post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel. Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand.

The law does not differentiate between a true statement and a false statement. If you state something that is true and it causes the person to suffer harm (and one would assume that it probably would or should), then you can be charged both criminally and civilly.

All of the forum rules are here, if you or any member needs to review them again: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules

Oh, and there have been forums shut down for naming and shaming, so we do need to be careful with what we say.

Hopefully you will get guidance and advice that will help without violating the rules.

Personally, I haven't had much contact with agencies. I have known a few teachers who worked with agencies with varying degrees of happiness. I hired a person who worked for an agency for several years. The agency was good (at least to him), paid him on time, he had a work permit, (I don't know if that was through the agency or a school he was placed at). He had the opportunity to move around a bit, which is what he wanted to do. When he came to our school and applied it was because he wanted to be in that area for long term and thus was no longer interested in working for an agency.

Other teachers who had terrible experiences with agencies also worked for us. Several of them didn't pan out as particularly good teachers, so there may have been more to their situation than was initially reported.

Best of luck.

[Loaded]

Media kids isn't a scam.

They are a business. They work and expect to receive remuneration. Agencies find and manage teachers for schools that can't normally find their own teachers. Teachers use them when they can't find better jobs by themselves. Some agencies are good, some not so good and a few are rotten. Media Kids is one of the oldest and biggest. This probably indicates which category they fall in.

Unfortunately, some people have had bad experiences with agencies and this influences their comments. They tend to make sweeping generalizations without actually knowing anything about a particular agency or school.

And just to add that when a teacher has a negative experience with an agency or school, it isn't always the fault of the agency or school. Over the years I've worked with some very incompetent and malicious characters who drift from one school to another constantly criticizing everyone but themselves for their 'bad luck'.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Loaded

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted. Please restrict your comments to the OP.

[Issangeorge]

I worked for Media Kids for one term, they are legitimate pay well and are a good way to get a start teaching in Thailand. The only problem is they usually only give you four month contracts so you may be out of work and pay for 4 months total, but once you get your first one, you can start looking around for another job.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[cgphuket]

I have a few contacts from them. They usually want you to drop everything and come interview with 4 hours notice. I pass on dealing with agencies that show no consideration for their "clients".

[Loaded]

I have a few contacts from them. They usually want you to drop everything and come interview with 4 hours notice. I pass on dealing with agencies that show no consideration for their "clients".

Why do so many foreign teachers think everything should be run for their convenience? The agency has probably been contacted by a school that has suddenly lost a teacher and told to find them someone immediately. In this case, they will expect you to move quickly if you want the job. The schools are their 'clients', they pay the bills.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Loaded

[Scott]

Thanks, Loaded, for that accurate description of how things happen. This topic has probably had all the informative replies that it will generate, so I will close it for now.

//Closed//