When everything can be done virtually, manipulations and scams are common in the world of work, and it is sometimes difficult to be sure of the authenticity of what is transmitted by the networks. Employees can use virtual assistants to work for them; false calls for applications or job offers can also be disseminated to steal personal data. Another example of the dangers of virtual work: a large-scale scam revealed by the BBC, in which a fake boss created a fake company to falsely hire several people by playing on their credulity. Employees (real this time) worked remotely, but never got paid…
Fake profiles of former employees created to motivate new candidates
It was a fake, supposedly “prestigious” design agency, claiming to be called Madbird. The company said it wanted to welcome new recruits to cope with its growing business. Job seekers were contacted. Following these steps, some even left their jobs to join Madbird, because of the promises of very advantageous conditions. To make them believe that the company was indeed in operation, a Zoom meeting was organized at the end of the fake recruitment, where all the staff were summoned. Fake accounts and fake profiles participated in the meeting, during which Ali Ayad, the enthusiastic fake boss, motivated his troops, saying he wanted all the participants to be as ambitious as him.
Several young job seekers scammed in the midst of a pandemic
The charismatic Madbird boss, who presented himself as the next Steve Jobs to his employees, hired more than 50 people to fill sales, design and supervisory positions. The new recruits were working remotely, communicating by email and video conferencing on Zoom, which was the norm during confinement anyway. They did not suspect the scam due to the particular context of the pandemic and telework. The employees spent their days presenting the company to customers potentially interested in creating a website or a mobile application. The ambition of the fake company did not stop in the UK, it also targeted candidates in Dubai, and people from Uganda, India, South Africa and the Philippines were hired. They saw this job as a unique opportunity to obtain a British visa. The bad joke was therefore even more cruel for these employees, who had been promised that following six months of trial, if they achieved their objectives, the company would sponsor them so that they might settle in the United Kingdom. United.
False administrative delays to explain late payments
The deception might have become evident when the employees realized that their salaries were not being paid at the end of the month. But, to make the scam last for several months, the company manager had his recruits accept to work on commission for the first six months, and to wait until the end of their probationary period to start receiving their salary. , explains the BBC. No contract was ever signed and of course no one was paid.
The pot of roses discovered thanks to the false photos of the offices
Some employees were impatiently waiting for the end of telework to be able to discover the company’s offices. A young employee had the idea of looking for more information on the Internet and quickly realized that the photos of the offices presented by the company were photos stolen from the Internet. As she continued her investigation, she discovered that some of her colleagues did not exist either. She then sent an email to warn her colleagues of the deception. At first, the boss of the fake company denied everything, but very soon Madbird’s website was deactivated, as was Ali’s LinkedIn profile.
Depression, debts… devastated deceived employees
The former false employees of Madbird had a very bad experience with this scam. Some had taken out loans to cover their expenses during their probationary period, and following the opportunity disappeared, several fell into depression. Three former employees have sued Madbird in labor court, but even if they win, their work won’t necessarily get paid. The court order was issued once morest the company, not once morest Ali Ayad as an individual. If the company is insolvent, the court cannot compel the boss to pay the wages.
