Over 1,500 deceptive job advertisements — promoting remote positions with no experience required — have been removed from LinkedIn and Monster following a visual investigation by CBC that uncovered these listings directed unsuspecting job seekers toward a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme that demands payment.
CBC traced a network of travel-related pages posting questionable job offers — such as “Work From Home Travel Planner and Virtual Customer Support Representative” — to a U.S.-based MLM named Evolution Travel. 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 led to virtual informational meetings, where they were required to pay hundreds of dollars upfront, plus a recurring monthly subscription fee. The program claimed to instruct members on how to earn money by booking travel as independent agents and by recruiting others into the program, from which they would take a portion of the 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.
These companies operated under names such as Wanderwell Collective, Professional Travel Hub, Remote-Careers, Sky Land & Ocean Travel, and Sunkissed Getaways.
The job advertisements failed to disclose any information about Evolution Travel or any associated fees.
Many of the jobs did not require experience and promised to pay up to $75,000 US. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC; LinkedIn)
Jay Jones, a job listing investigator based in Chicago who was informed of the findings by CBC, expressed his disgust: “They entice you with the allure of a fake job. The potential earnings are appealing, and [successful candidates] can work from home. You have to pay to secure employment — that’s not how employment functions.”
Platforms like LinkedIn and other job sites strictly prohibit misleading job postings, including those that require payment or lead to MLMs.
Jay Jones investigates misleading and fake jobs online. (CBC)
“It feels like we are living in a distorted reality,” said Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian Shield Institute, a public policy think tank dedicated to economic resilience and digital sovereignty.
These job postings pose a risk of “undermining confidence — both in oneself and in the belief that meaningful employment exists that is worth pursuing.”
LinkedIn: Jobs were ‘misleading’
While MLMs are not illegal in Canada or the U.S., companies and individuals in the U.S. could be fined for violating the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”
William Kovacic, a former FTC chairman and commissioner who reviewed CBC’s findings, remarked, “I would classify [these job postings] as misleading… and would encourage enforcement actions by the FTC, state governments, or other federal agencies.”
Diedre Norton, an independent agent associated with several travel businesses linked to the misleading job ads identified by CBC — including Wanderwell Collective, Destination Knot, Aisle and Abroad, and Professional Travel Hub — stated in a YouTube video that she had a network of 300 recruits for Evolution Travel.
Despite Evolution Travel’s founder, David McCovy, praising her as a top performer in online videos, Norton denied any connection to the program before abruptly ending the call with CBC News.
Screenshot of an online video showing Evolution founder David McCovy during a conference. (EvolutionTravelCafe/YouTube)
McCovy did not reply to requests for comment from CBC.
A representative from Evolution Travel, who only identified themselves as the chief operating officer, informed CBC that they consistently instruct their independent agents not to place job advertisements on any platforms.
Recently, LinkedIn removed nearly 900 ads related to Evolution Travel, stating they were taken down for being “misleading and violating” company policies, and added that “the companies behind them will no longer be able to post jobs” on the site.
Monster also removed 600 listings, asserting that it has “clear policies against misleading job postings and multi-level marketing opportunities, and we take measures 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)
Identifying fake jobs
Although Evolution Travel does not operate in Canada, CBC journalists still encountered job postings in their feeds and received recommendations via LinkedIn emails.
The advertisements contained immediate warning signs. The travel companies mentioned had little to no online presence, and there were nearly 1,500 postings with 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 required no education, prior experience, and often did not necessitate a résumé.
CBC applied for eight positions on LinkedIn and Monster, submitting a blank document as a résumé when required. After applying, the team received automated emails inviting them to attend virtual informational sessions with 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 promote themselves as an international “home-based travel business” that trains its members to book travel and earn commissions.
However, the operation extends beyond just travel booking. Archer Travel’s website refers to Evolution Travel as its “recruiting partner” and classifies it as a “network marketing” company — a term synonymous with multi-level marketing, according to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Evolution Travel’s website features a compensation plan indicating that a percentage of commissions and monthly bonuses are awarded to top recruiters, with membership tiers reaching “8 Star Platinum” for those who recruit 100,000 people.
Documents show compensation plans for Evolution Travel. (Evolution Travel)
None of these details were mentioned during the information sessions attended by CBC, which focused solely on travel booking. When a CBC journalist, posing as a job seeker, inquired about earning commissions from their own recruits, the session host claimed this information was not addressed in the sessions and that the individual who had invited them would provide further clarification.
Additionally, session leaders failed to mention a hidden $50 annual fee included in the independent contractor agreement, which was reviewed by CBC.
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 stated that if he were still in his position, he would be investigating the company.
“[Fees are] not revealed in the initial interaction,” he noted. “It’s obscured in a manner that is significant and could mislead users.”
27,000 independent contractors
Job seekers have been voicing concerns regarding Evolution Travel, its members, and agents like Deidre Norton for years, both online and to the Better Business Bureau.
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 claims” about a “money-making opportunity.”
Kovacic remarked that a company that “defied” FTC notices and continued these practices would be a “suitable candidate for 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 support illegal job postings and addresses them when made aware.”
However, in online videos, travel agents affiliated with Evolution Travel openly discussed utilizing LinkedIn job postings to recruit individuals into the business.
Archer mentioned that they cannot “dictate how their agents operate their businesses” because they have “27,000 independent contractors globally.”
“LinkedIn is a key platform,” stated one member in a June 2026 training video posted on YouTube. “We have several training sessions on how to post on LinkedIn.”
Jay Jones, who has successfully had tens of thousands of job postings removed from platforms himself, emphasized that companies like LinkedIn and Monster profit from the traffic generated by these listings.
“There’s no genuine vetting process for what companies can be created or what jobs can be listed,” Jones remarked. “Individuals coming to [LinkedIn] looking for legitimate opportunities are instead met with 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