
TEFL Certification Scams 2023.
Trusted TEFL Reviews has witnessed a worrying trend in the increase of TEFL certification scams in 2023.
When the pandemic hit, a lot of new programs began to spring up from nowhere.
Not all of these were scams, but many had been established purely to get in on the booming Online TEFL/TESOL training industry and make some fast money before they exited the market.
During that period, the Fed was printing more money than it had in its entire history (Quantitative Easing) and many people found themselves being able to save money and being able to afford to spend money on online training.
Move ahead two years and the global economy is in trouble.
There is a war in Ukraine, there are global supply chain issues, and the Fed is now in a period of Quantitive Tightening.

How does this affect the TEFL industry as a whole?
People have less money to spend because of the high rates of inflation and high-interest rates, and many people just don’t have the funds available to take an online TEFL/TESOL course.
As a result, there is less money pouring into the TEFL industry and some companies are at risk of going bankrupt.
To avoid this, some companies are becoming ever more aggressive with their false marketing and hidden fees.
Whenever I read things on TEFL websites like “we are the most accredited” or “we are the most recognized”, I have a bit of a laugh to myself- especially when I see that the company is not even fully accredited.
TEFL Certification Scams 2023 | Accreditation
Online TEFL TESOL certification course programs are categorized as either ‘Unaccredited‘, ‘Accredited‘, or ‘Fully Accredited‘.
‘Fully Accredited‘ is the highest level of accreditation, providing you with access to the best-paid TEFL jobs and ensuring that your certificate will be accepted worldwide for TEFL jobs and TEFL visas.
A TEFL/TESOL certificate from an ‘Accredited‘ program will be accepted for most low-paying jobs, but you may find yourself being turned down for some TEFL jobs and some TEFL visas.
‘Unaccredited‘ TEFL/TESOL certificates best suit people who will be doing unpaid volunteer TEFL work.
Despite these clear definitions that are globally recognized, I have noticed that many TEFL programs are falsely claiming Fully Accredited status when they are only Accredited or Unaccredited.
Fully Accredited Online TEFL/TESOL certification programs are essential choices because these programs have little risk of going bankrupt in difficult financial times and because TEFL/TESOL certificates from these programs represent the best bang for your buck. Period.
Out of the 57 Online TEFL/TESOL certification programs listed in the Trusted TEFL Reviews TEFL Course Directory, only eight are Fully Accredited.
https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/
In current review-ranked order, these Fully Accredited programs are:
1. TEFL Online Pro
Program website: https://teflonlinepro.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-teachers-choice-award-winner-2022/
Teachers’ Choice Award | TEFL Online Pro has won the prestigious Teachers’ Choice Award for the past four consecutive years: 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
TEFL/TESOL online programs that win the Teachers’ Choice Award are granted the ability to enjoy a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current course discounts or promotions.
2. OISE University of Toronto TEFL
Program website: https://teflonline.teachaway.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oise-university-of-toronto-tefl/
3. CIEE TEFL
Program website: https://www.ciee.org/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ciee-tefl/
4. Maximo Nivel TEFL
Program website: https://maximonivel.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/maximo-nivel-tefl/
10. Bridge TEFL
Program website: https://bridge.edu/tefl/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/bridge-tefl/
16. Oxford Seminars
Program website: https://www.oxfordseminars.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oxford-seminars/
28. TEFL Iberia
Program website: https://tefl-iberia.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-iberia/
33. ontesol
Program website: https://ontesol.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ontesol/
If your TEFL program is not listed in these eight, it is either only Accredited or Unaccredited.
And finally, as the last point, many Accredited or Unaccredited programs really don’t like that they are being listed as such on Trusted TEFL Reviews.
Instead, they want to maintain the illusion of being Fully Accredited because this is one of their main (false) selling points.
So what do they do? They tell their students not to believe the content published on Trusted TEFL Reviews.
Some students believe them, and others don’t.
Ultimately, people always believe what Trusted TEFL Reviews publishes when they find themselves turned down for a job offer or a work visa because their TEFL/TESOL certificate really isn’t Fully Accredited.
They then have to quickly sign up for one of the TEFL/TESOL courses listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews that really is Fully Accredited and internationally recognized, in order to satisfy the job and visa requirements.
Thank you for reading this TEFL Certification Scams 2023 article.
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews

New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.
Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory
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This is solid advice, Mia!
Thanks, TEFLexpert!
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews