Over 1,500 deceptive job listings that promised remote work and required no prior experience have been removed from LinkedIn and Monster following a visual investigation by CBC. This investigation uncovered that these listings directed unwitting applicants to a multi-level marketing (MLM) firm that demanded payment.
CBC traced a network of travel-related pages advertising questionable jobs, such as “Work From Home Travel Planner and Virtual Customer Support Representative,” back to Evolution Travel, an MLM based in the U.S. Some of these positions claimed potential earnings of up to $75,000 US annually.
However, the truth was that there were no actual jobs or salaries available.
Applicants were swiftly directed to participate in virtual information sessions, where they were asked to pay hundreds of dollars upfront, followed by a monthly subscription. The program claimed to instruct members on how to earn money by booking travel as independent agents and recruiting others into the program, taking a share of their commissions.
Major job-seeking platforms host hundreds of listings for remote travel jobs that promise salaries up to $75,000 with no experience required. CBC Visual Investigations applied online and found that there is no job: The ads lead to a U.S.-based multi-level marketing scheme that asks unsuspecting applicants to pay up front. After flagging the listings to LinkedIn and Monster, nearly 1,500 were taken offline.
The companies operated under various names, including Wanderwell Collective, Professional Travel Hub, Remote-Careers, Sky Land & Ocean Travel, and Sunkissed Getaways.
Notably, the job advertisements did not mention Evolution Travel or any associated sign-up fees.
Many of the jobs did not require experience and promised to pay up to $75,000 US. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC; LinkedIn)
“This is appalling,” remarked Jay Jones, a job listing investigator based in Chicago, after CBC shared its findings with him. “They lure you in with the promise of a fake job. The salary seems appealing, and successful applicants can work from home. However, you must pay to get a job — that’s not how employment functions.”
Job postings that are misleading, including those that require payment or lead to MLM schemes, are explicitly banned on platforms like LinkedIn and other job boards.
Jay Jones investigates misleading and fake jobs online. (CBC)
“In many ways, it feels like we are living in a funhouse mirror,” stated Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian Shield Institute, a think tank focused on public policy regarding economic resilience and digital sovereignty.
These deceptive postings pose a risk of “undermining trust — both in oneself and in the belief that there are genuinely valuable job opportunities worth pursuing.”
LinkedIn Calls Job Listings ‘Misleading’
While MLMs are legal in both Canada and the U.S., companies and individuals in the U.S. may face penalties if they are found to violate the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”
“I would categorize [these job advertisements] as misleading… and would urge enforcement actions from the FTC, state authorities, or other federal agencies,” remarked William Kovacic, a former FTC chairman and commissioner, to whom CBC also disclosed its findings.
One independent agent linked to several travel businesses associated with misleading job ads identified by CBC — Wanderwell Collective, Destination Knot, Aisle and Abroad, and Professional Travel Hub — was Diedre Norton. In a YouTube video, Norton mentioned having a network of 300 recruits for Evolution Travel.
Despite Evolution Travel’s founder, David McCovy, praising her in online videos as a top performer, Norton denied any affiliation with the program before abruptly hanging up on CBC News.
Screenshot of an online video showing Evolution founder David McCovy during a conference. (EvolutionTravelCafe/YouTube)
McCovy did not reply to CBC’s inquiries for a comment.
A representative from Evolution Travel, who only identified themselves as the chief operating officer, informed CBC that they have consistently instructed their independent agents not to post job ads on any platforms.
At the end of last month, LinkedIn removed nearly 900 ads linked to Evolution Travel, stating they were “misleading and violated” company policy, and further noted that “the companies behind them will no longer be allowed to post jobs” on the site.
Monster took down 600 listings, asserting that it has “clear policies preventing misleading job postings and multi-level marketing opportunities, and we take steps to eliminate listings that fail to meet our standards.”
Hundreds of job postings posted to LinkedIn and Monster actually brought applicants into the recruiting process for a multi-level marketing company, a CBC News visual investigation has found. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC, LinkedIn, Monster)
Spotting Fake Jobs
Although Evolution Travel does not operate in Canada, CBC reporters still encountered the job postings in their feeds. They were also suggested in emails from LinkedIn.
The ads raised immediate suspicions. The travel companies mentioned in the listings had little to no online presence, and there were close to 1,500 postings, frequently featuring nearly identical job descriptions.
Many of the jobs did not require experience and were remote. CBC found more than 1,500 misleading or fake jobs. (LinkedIn)
In many instances, the jobs had no educational requirements, no prior experience was necessary, and often, a résumé was not needed.
CBC applied for eight positions on LinkedIn and Monster, submitting a blank document as a résumé where required. After applying, the team received automated emails inviting them to attend a virtual information session by individuals associated with Evolution Travel.
CBC journalists were sent automated emails and asked to join a virtual information session by individuals connected to Evolution Travel upon applying for the jobs. (CBC)
Evolution Travel and its partner, Archer Travel Services, present themselves as an international “home-based travel business” that trains its members to book travel and earn commissions.
However, the focus extends beyond merely booking travel. Archer Travel’s website refers to Evolution Travel as its “recruiting partner” and describes it as a “network marketing” company — another term for multi-level marketing, according to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
A compensation plan available on Evolution Travel’s website indicates that a percentage of commissions and monthly bonuses are provided to the most effective recruiters, with membership tiers extending to “8 Star Platinum” for recruiting 100,000 individuals.
Documents show compensation plans for Evolution Travel. (Evolution Travel)
None of this was disclosed in the information sessions CBC attended, which focused solely on travel booking. When a CBC journalist, posing as a job seeker, inquired about earning commissions from their recruits, the session leader stated that this topic was not covered in the sessions and that the person who brought them into the program would provide further details.
Session leaders also failed to mention a concealed $50 annual fee included in the independent contractor agreement, which CBC reviewed, at the time of registration.
A screenshot from an Evolution virtual session shows the packages attendees can pay to enrol in the program. (Evolution Travel)
Former FTC chairman and commissioner Kovacic expressed that if he were still with the agency, he would investigate the company.
“[Fees are] not disclosed during the initial interaction,” he stated. “It’s concealed in a significant manner that could mislead users.”
27,000 Independent Contractors
Job seekers have raised concerns about Evolution Travel, its agents, and members like Deidre Norton to the Better Business Bureau and online for several years.
In 2021, Evolution Travel was among 1,000 companies warned by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that they could incur fines if they or their representatives made “misleading or deceptive representations” regarding a “money-making opportunity.”
Kovacic stated that a company that “defied” FTC warnings and continued such practices would be a “suitable target for an investigation.”
CBC News found numerous complaints online about companies linked to the job postings. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC, Reddit, Better Business Bureau)
Ron Archer, CEO of Archer Travel Services, stated that the company does “not endorse illegal job postings and addresses them when we become aware of them.”
Nonetheless, in online videos, travel agents affiliated with Evolution Travel discussed openly about utilizing LinkedIn job postings to recruit new members into the business.
Archer noted they cannot “dictate how individuals train for their business” due to having “27,000 independent contractors worldwide.”
“LinkedIn is a significant platform,” remarked one member in a June 2026 training video posted on YouTube. “We provide a variety of training sessions on how to post on LinkedIn.”
Jay Jones, who has successfully removed tens of thousands of job listings from various platforms, noted that companies like LinkedIn and Monster profit from this traffic.
“There is no genuine vetting of which companies are allowed to be formed or what jobs can be listed,” Jones said. “Individuals come to [LinkedIn] believing there are authentic opportunities, only to encounter this MLM nonsense.”
For any tips related to this investigation, contact eric.szeto@cbc.ca or the visual investigation team’s inbox: vi@cbc.ca