Over 1,500 deceptive job advertisements—promising remote opportunities with no experience necessary—have been removed from LinkedIn and Monster following a visual investigation by CBC that uncovered these listings directed unaware applicants to a multi-level marketing (MLM) organization that required payment.
CBC traced a series of travel-related pages posting dubious 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 reality was that no actual job existed, nor was there any salary.
Applicants were swiftly guided to attend virtual information sessions, during which they were asked to pay hundreds of dollars upfront, followed by a recurring monthly subscription fee. The program promised to instruct participants on how to profit from booking travel as independent agents and by recruiting additional members, taking a percentage of their commissions.
Major job search platforms hosted numerous listings for remote travel positions promising salaries as high as $75,000 with no experience required. CBC Visual Investigations applied online and discovered that these ads led to a U.S.-based multi-level marketing scheme that demanded upfront payments from unsuspecting applicants. After alerting LinkedIn and Monster, nearly 1,500 listings were removed.
The businesses operated under names such as Wanderwell Collective, Professional Travel Hub, Remote-Careers, Sky Land & Ocean Travel, and Sunkissed Getaways.
The job listings made no reference to Evolution Travel or any fees for signing up.
Many of the positions did not require prior experience and claimed payouts of up to $75,000 US. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC; LinkedIn)
“This is appalling,” remarked Jay Jones, a job listing investigator from Chicago with whom CBC shared its discoveries. “They entice you with the bait of a fictitious job. The pay sounds enticing, [successful candidates] can work from home. But you have to pay to get employment—that’s not how it works.”
Misleading job postings—including those that necessitate payment or lead to MLMs—are explicitly forbidden on platforms like LinkedIn and other job websites.
Jay Jones investigates misleading and fraudulent job listings online. (CBC)
“In many ways, it feels like we’re navigating a funhouse mirror,” expressed Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian Shield Institute, a think tank focused on public policy and economic resilience.
These listings pose a risk to “diminishing confidence—confidence in oneself and the belief that there are indeed worthwhile job opportunities available.”
LinkedIn calls jobs ‘misleading’
While MLMs are legal in both Canada and the U.S., in the U.S., companies and individuals may incur penalties if found in violation of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”
“I would classify [these job advertisements] as misleading… and would encourage enforcement actions by either the FTC, state authorities, or other federal agencies,” stated William Kovacic, a former FTC chairman and commissioner, with whom CBC shared its findings.
One independent agent associated with multiple travel businesses tied to the misleading job advertisements identified by CBC—Wanderwell Collective, Destination Knot, Aisle and Abroad, and Professional Travel Hub—was Diedre Norton. In a YouTube video, Norton claimed to have 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 association with the program before abruptly ending the call with CBC News.
Screenshot from an online video featuring Evolution founder David McCovy at a conference. (EvolutionTravelCafe/YouTube)
McCovy did not respond to requests for comment from CBC.
A spokesperson from Evolution Travel, who only identified themselves as the chief operating officer, informed CBC that they consistently advise their independent agents against posting job advertisements on any platforms.
At the end of last month, LinkedIn removed nearly 900 ads associated with Evolution Travel, stating they were taken down due to being “misleading and violating” company policy, and added that “the companies behind these ads will no longer be permitted to post jobs” on the platform.
Monster also removed 600 listings, asserting it has “clear policies against misleading job advertisements and multi-level marketing opportunities, and we take steps to eliminate listings that fail to meet our criteria.”
Numerous job postings on LinkedIn and Monster actually directed applicants into the recruiting process of a multi-level marketing company, as found by a CBC News visual investigation. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC, LinkedIn, Monster)
Identifying fake jobs
Although Evolution Travel does not operate in Canada, CBC reporters still encountered the job listings in their feeds. They were also promoted in emails from LinkedIn.
The advertisements displayed immediate warning signs. The travel companies mentioned in the ads had little to no online presence, and there were close to 1,500 postings, frequently with nearly identical job descriptions.
Many of the positions did not require experience and were remote. CBC uncovered over 1,500 misleading or fake job listings. (LinkedIn)
In numerous instances, the jobs required neither education nor prior experience, and often did not even ask for a résumé.
CBC applied for eight positions on LinkedIn and Monster, submitting a blank document as a résumé when it was needed. After applying, the team received automated emails inviting them to participate in a virtual information session from individuals linked to Evolution Travel.
After applying for the jobs, CBC journalists received automated emails inviting them to a virtual information session by individuals associated with Evolution Travel. (CBC)
Evolution Travel and its partner Archer Travel Services present themselves as an international “home-based travel business” that educates its members on booking travel and earning commissions.
However, it extends beyond just travel bookings. Archer Travel’s website refers to Evolution Travel as its “recruiting partner” and labels it as a “network marketing” company—another term for multi-level marketing, as stated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
A compensation structure on Evolution Travel’s website reveals that a portion of commissions and monthly bonuses are awarded to the most successful recruiters, with membership levels reaching up to “8 Star Platinum” for recruiting 100,000 individuals.
Documents indicate compensation plans for Evolution Travel. (Evolution Travel)
None of this information was disclosed in the information sessions that CBC attended, which focused solely on travel booking. When a CBC journalist, posing as a job applicant, inquired about earning commissions from their own recruits, the session facilitator stated that it was not discussed in the sessions and that the individual who invited them would provide that information.
The hosts of the sessions also failed to mention a concealed $50 annual fee outlined in the independent contractor agreement reviewed by CBC upon registration.
A screenshot from an Evolution virtual session displays the packages attendees can purchase to enroll in the program. (Evolution Travel)
Former FTC chairman and commissioner Kovacic noted that if he were still with the agency, he would be investigating the company.
“[Fees are] not disclosed during the initial interaction,” he remarked. “It’s presented in a manner that is very important and can mislead users.”
27,000 independent contractors
Job seekers have been voicing their concerns about Evolution Travel, its representatives, and agents like Deidre Norton both online and to the Better Business Bureau for several years.
In 2021, Evolution Travel was among 1,000 companies that received notice from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission about the potential for fines if they or their representatives were found to have made “misleading or deceptive representations” regarding a “money-making opportunity.”
Kovacic stated that a company that “defied” FTC notifications and continued these practices would be a “suitable target for an investigation.”
CBC News uncovered multiple complaints online concerning companies linked to the job advertisements. (Illustration: Matthew Hoddy/CBC, Reddit, Better Business Bureau)
Ron Archer, the CEO of Archer Travel Services, stated that the company does “not support illegal job postings and takes action when we are alerted to them.”
Nevertheless, in online videos, travel agents associated with Evolution Travel openly discussed using LinkedIn job postings to recruit individuals into the business.
Archer mentioned that they cannot “dictate how they train for their business” because they have “27,000 independent contractors worldwide.”
“LinkedIn is a significant platform,” noted one member in a June 2026 training video posted on YouTube. “We have various training sessions on how to post on LinkedIn.”
Jay Jones, who has successfully removed tens of thousands of job listings from platforms, remarked that companies such as LinkedIn and Monster profit from this traffic.
“There is no genuine vetting of which companies can be established, or which jobs can be advertised,” Jones stated. “Individuals visiting [LinkedIn] under the impression that real opportunities exist are confronted with this MLM facade.”
If you have any information related to this investigation, please contact eric.szeto@cbc.ca or the visual investigation team at: vi@cbc.ca
