Scams that target job-seekers are nothing new. There’s multi-level marketing schemes, assemble-product-at-home deals, phishing schemes using job applications, not to mention the perfectly legal scam of being exploited by your employer. But the trend toward working from home and the anonymity of the internet have allowed scammers to create more elaborate fake employment situations that can be difficult to spot. It’s been called “jobfishing”—like catfishing but with a job—and recent examples have resulted in people working for months at fake jobs, traveling halfway around the world on their own dime, and throwing away their actual careers based on a fake job offer.
The saga of Madbird
To job seekers, Madbird seemed like a dream opportunity. Led by charismatic CEO Ali Ayad, the “human-centred digital design agency” had attracted impressive executives in its 10 years of existence and its client list included Nike and Toni & Guy.
In 2020, Madbird “hired” more than 50 employees—sales people, designers, supervisors. Everyone was work-from-home, so, with the constant encouragement and motivation of their tireless CEO, salespeople worked on getting new clients, designers designed, and supervisors supervised, all over email and Zoom. But, according to a BBC investigation, it was an elaborate ruse. The company existed only on paper and online. Ayad registered the company in 2020, and just started hiring people with, apparently, no money…
