LinkedIn and Monster remove 1,500 job ads that funneled applicants to MLM

More than 1,500 misleading job postings have been taken down from LinkedIn and Monster after a CBC News investigation revealed they funnelled applicants to a multi-level marketing company that asked for money. The ads promised remote work and salaries up to $75,000 US per year for roles like "Work From Home Travel Planner," but made no mention of sign-up fees or the MLM program. Applicants were quickly directed to virtual information sessions where they were asked to pay hundreds of dollars upfront followed by a monthly subscription fee. The postings were linked to a U.S.-based MLM called Evolution Travel and associated travel pages with names like Wanderwell Collective and Professional Travel Hub.

"This is disgusting," said Jay Jones, a Chicago-based job listing investigator. "They catch you with the lure of the fake job. The money is great, [successful applicants] get to stay at home. You have to pay to get work, that's not how work works." Jones reviewed CBC's findings. Misleading job postings, including those that require payment or lead to MLMs, are strictly prohibited on platforms like LinkedIn.

Late last month, LinkedIn removed close to 900 ads connected to Evolution Travel, saying they were "misleading and violated" company policy. The platform said the companies behind them will no longer be able to post jobs. Monster took down 600 listings, stating it has clear policies against misleading postings and multi-level marketing opportunities. Evolution Travel does not operate in Canada, but CBC journalists encountered the ads in their LinkedIn feeds and in recommendation emails from the platform.

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CBC applied for eight jobs on LinkedIn and Monster, sometimes attaching a blank document as a resume. The team received automated emails to join virtual information sessions hosted by individuals connected to Evolution Travel. The sessions promised to teach members how to make money booking travel as an independent agent and recruiting others, taking a cut of their commissions. However, the sessions did not disclose a hidden $50 annual fee in the independent contractor agreement, which CBC reviewed.

"[Fees are] not presented in the initial interaction," said William Kovacic, former chairman and commissioner of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. "It's shrouded in a way that's very important and would mislead users." Kovacic, who also reviewed the findings, said he would consider the job posts misleading and would invite enforcement by the FTC or other agencies. MLMs are not illegal, but companies can face fines for unfair or deceptive practices under the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Act.

One independent agent behind multiple travel businesses linked to the ads was Diedre Norton. In an online video, Norton said she had a network of 300 recruits for Evolution Travel. Though Evolution Travel's founder, David McCovy, praised her as a top performer in online videos, Norton denied being affiliated with the program before hanging up on CBC News. McCovy did not respond to requests for comment. A representative from Evolution Travel who identified only as chief operating officer told CBC the company has consistently told its independent agents not to post job ads on any platforms. Evolution Travel and its partner Archer Travel Services describe themselves as an international "home-based travel business" that trains members to book travel for commission. Archer Travel's website describes Evolution Travel as its "recruiting partner" and a "network marketing" company, another term for multi-level marketing. A compensation plan on Evolution Travel's website shows a percentage of commissions and monthly bonuses are paid to the most effective recruiters, with membership tiers up to "8 Star Platinum" for recruiting 100,000 people.

None of this recruitment structure was mentioned in the information sessions CBC attended, which covered travel booking exclusively. When a CBC journalist posing as an applicant asked about earning commissions from recruits, the session host said it was not covered and that the person who invited them would address it. Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian Shield Institute, said such postings risk eroding confidence. "It feels in so many ways that we're living in a funhouse mirror," Bednar said. These posts risk "eroding confidence, confidence in the self and confidence that there is, frankly, meaningful work out there for people that is worth pursuing."

With files from CBC News