Boardsi & the Scam of Plausible Deniability (Full Analysis 2025)

In today's post, we are going to analyze the company Boardsi to deliver a poignant lesson about the psychology of scams. There is an old saying from the 1800’s that says “you can’t scam an honest man”. Well ladies and gentleman I don’t know if you found out, but we are living in 2025 and this generation has accepted that wager. Let’s dive into the company Boardsi and see how in 2025, it is indeed possible to scam an honest man.

What Is Boardsi?

Boardi is an executive search recruitment company. In their own words they are “the premier executive platform connecting top-level talent with board and advisory opportunities.

Why Boardsi Is Commonly Linked to Scams

BBB complaints

A quick search of Boardsi on the internet quickly relates it to scams. On the Better business bureau website you can see customer complaints about Boardsi as well as the company's responses. Most of the complaints on the BBB are related to poor customer engagement by Boardsi during the "on-boarding process"; aggressive customer acquisition strategies that are often focused on getting potential clients to divulge their credit card information hastily and disappointment in the amount of time it took to actually get a placement. You can read the complaints and responses yourself here.

Reddit + TrustPilot themes

Additionally, Via Reddit and TrustPilot, you can see the back and fourth in the reviews that Boardsi receives. Some customers indicated a completely satisfactory experience and other customers were sorely disappointed. On these sites the complaints are of a different nature. Users report shoddy and unprofessional work conducted by Boardsi staff. Specifically, mentioning that Boardsi ran the users CV through an AI generator to create the user profile even when the generator made errors. Further, they mention that the quality and quantity of the roles that Boardsi managed were generally low.

Lack of transparent pricing

Finally, a common theme surrounding all these complaints is the lack of a transparent pricing and payment structures. If you read the reviews, you can see that many users were surprised by recurring monthly charges, cancellation fees and difficulty reaching Boardsi to terminate the subscription. For many users, it wasn't clear that it was a subscription to begin with. Furthermore, you can see from the reviews that the prices users quote differ. Which supports the notion of discriminatory pricing, but more on this later.

Here is a visual illustration of the main challenges people experience with Boardsi

How the Boardsi Business Model Works

The point we will make to you in this article is that, for most of us, this doesn’t matter. Once we breakdown the way Boardsi is structured we can understand that although it might be a legitimate business with inconsistent customer service. It would be wise for us to avoid their services entirely. It belongs to a specific class of businesses that we at No Scam like to refer to as a scam of plausible deniability. Here is a diagram illustrating how Boardsi operates in practice

If we look at the diagram of the Boardi process we see that Boardsi effectively functions as a recruitment agency. Most of the complaints about Boardsi stem from points number two and four.

Key Customer Complaints About Boardsi

During the interaction process (point #2) customers claim that Boardsi misrepresents the nature of the situation. The discrepancies are:

• Boardsi makes it seem like they already have a list of executive positions that the client is suitable for and that they are contacting the client about one of these positions

• Boardsi misrepresents the nature of the executive positions that they have in stock. Boardsi makes it seem like they have executive positions for well funded start ups and scale ups and other great medium sized institutions however in reality the quality of their supply is very low. Some customers mention that it was more start ups looking for venture capital connections and local businesses like bowling alleys. This information often wasn’t made clear to the client during the interaction phase.

During the find executive position phase (point #4) the complaints are:

• Boardsi reduces the level of contact and support that they provide to the client

  • After you are onboarded, they start to communicate less with you

• Boardsi does not put the clients best interest as the main priority when suggesting positions

Understanding ‘Scams of Plausible Deniability

One very important thing to add about Boardsi is that it is a pay to play model. This means that the customer pays Boardi for these services. How much? you might ask. Well, if you go on Boardsi’s site right now there is no transparent pricing page. It can’t be found on the site. Reports from disgruntled customers on BBB suggest a minimum of 200 dollar sign up fee and 200 dollar monthly fee. This fact alone already confirms the customer complaints in point 2. I.e, that when they interact with you, it is a misleading and opaque process. The reason why Boardsi does not put up its prices on the site in a transparent manner is that it allows them to charge a different price to different people. This means, depending on how they profile you during these interactions (sales call), the sales person can lead you on to a price point they think will fit you best. I mean, if complex Saas products can find ways to show their different price points and the benefits each of them come with, so can Boardsi. This leads us to the main point of this article. What we will show you is that the entire set up of Boardsi is scammy in nature and falls into a category of what we at No Scam call a scam of plausible deniability. Here are the reasons why.

Why Boardsi Fits a Plausible Deniability Scam Model

First, we need to think about incentives. Normal recruitment companies often charge the company, Boadsi charges the person. This means that Boardi’s main source of revenue comes from acquiring and keeping clients. This presents a problem and is an explanation of the customer complaints mentioned earlier. Let me make this clear, Boardsi has no incentive to find you an executive position quickly. When you have that position, you will likely stop using Boardsi or pause that expensive subscription bill. This means Boardsi stops receiving revenue. Hence, when we analyse it, Boardsi has every incentive to acquire as many paying customers as possible, make them pay the entry fee and then keep them there for some months, hopefully as many as possible. This is why when they interact with you they mislead you in an effort to sign you up as quickly as possible. Here, this also explains Boardsi’s preferred response to these complaints. Boardsi often responds by saying “it takes 6 months on average to find an executive position” with them. Let’s pause to analyse why this is not a defense and why it explains customer dissatisfaction. When Boardsi contacts a customer they have an incentive for the bait and switch. To bait you into thinking that they already have roles lined up for you and then to tell you after signing up that recruitment takes time. If they know it takes six months (on average) to find a position, why don’t they contact you when they already have one? The reason is that if they do that, they won’t be maximizing their revenue. The longer you stay, the more money they make. Which also explains why they often respond to complaints with the argument that it takes 6 months. They know this information already. If they were really out for your best interest as an executive position finder they would save you the money and contact you for relevant opportunities.

Should You Use Boardsi? Our Verdict

This is why Boardsi is a scam of plausible deniability. We can recognise scams of plausible deniability when we analyse the incentives that motivate a company's actions. If the incentives that motivate a company’s actions are against your best interest then you have entered a scam of plausible deniability. As an economic institution the company has analysed their incentives and the actions they need to take to maximize their utility. Unfortunately, doing that involves you willingly handing your money to them to receive a service or product that is not structured in your best interest. Below is an infographic you can use that explains scams of plausible deniability in a visually understandable way.

How to Avoid Recruitment Scams Like Boardsi

When people search “Is Boardsi legit?” or “Boardsi scam complaints,” they’re usually not just questioning one company — they’re questioning an entire class of executive recruitment models that look polished on the outside and predatory on the inside. Boardsi is simply the most well-known example of what we call a scam of plausible deniability. But they are not the only ones.

So how do you avoid falling into a recruitment trap built on pay-to-play tactics, opaque pricing, and misleading promises of board seats or executive opportunities?Here’s how to protect yourself.

1. Start by Following the Money

Legitimate executive search firms are paid by companies looking for talent—not by candidates.If a recruiter asks you to pay a subscription fee, a setup fee, or a “profile activation fee” like many Boardsi complaints describe, you’re not dealing with a recruiter. You’re dealing with a sales funnel.

A simple rule:If the revenue model depends on you paying, it’s a red flag.

2. Watch for Sales Tactics Disguised as Recruitment

Real recruitment feels deliberate.Scams feel rushed.

If a company pushes you with lines like:

• “We already have executive roles lined up for you,”

• “You’re a perfect fit,” or

• “We have limited board seat opportunities,”

…before even reviewing your CV, you’re not being recruited — you’re being sold.This pattern shows up frequently in Boardsi reviews and Reddit threads.

3. No Job Description = No Job

A legitimate recruiter can show you:

• Job descriptions

• Company details

• Salary ranges

• Timelines

A recruitment scam gives you nothing concrete. Only vague references to “top companies” and “exclusive executive opportunities.”

If they can’t show you the job before you pay, the job does not exist in your universe.

4. Demand Transparent Pricing

One of the biggest signals in the Boardsi scam discussions is the absence of clear pricing.When pricing is hidden behind:

• A discovery call

• A “talent evaluation”

• Or a pressure-based conversation

…it’s not hidden for your benefit.Opaque pricing allows them to charge different candidates different amounts — a classic pay-to-play mechanism.

5. Analyse the Company’s Incentives Like an Economist

The easiest way to detect a scam of plausible deniability is to ask:

Does this company make money when I succeed, or when I keep paying?

If the answer is the latter, you are not their client — you are their revenue stream.This is the core issue behind the Boardsi business model.

6. Be Wary of Urgency

Recruitment moves slowly.Scams move quickly.

If you’re ever told:

• “You have to act today,”

• “This board seat may not be available tomorrow,”

• “We can only hold this executive opportunity if you pay now,”

…you’re being manipulated.Real opportunities don’t evaporate because you took a night to think.

7. Do a Quick Reputation Scan

When evaluating whether Boardsi is legit or whether any similar company is trustworthy, search for:

• “Boardsi scam”

• “Boardsi BBB complaints”

• “Boardsi TrustPilot negative reviews”

• “[Company Name] executive recruitment scam”

You don’t need to believe every review — but you should pay attention to patterns.Patterns reveal incentives.Incentives reveal motives.

8. Check Whether the Opportunity Aligns With Your Actual Experience

If you’ve never held a board seat in your life and someone suddenly thinks you’d be a great fit for multiple advisory roles — be cautious.This tactic shows up constantly in Boardsi complaint summaries.

You’re not being recognized; you’re being targeted.

9. Remember: Hope Is the Weakest Firewall

Legitimate executive recruitment is slow, selective, and rigorous.Recruitment scams exploit hope.They sell the idea of being “chosen,” “in demand,” or “pre-qualified.”

Stay ambitious.Just don’t confuse flattery with opportunity.

10. The Golden Rule: Never Pay for Potential

The fundamental lesson from Boardsi and companies like it:

Never pay for the possibility of a job. Only pay for actual services or results already delivered.

If you’re paying for potential, you’re paying for nothing.

If you need more knowledge about scams and want to broaden your insights about consumer protection. You can check out the Federal Trade Commission's scam resource. Furthermore, if you have been scammed or had the unfortunate experience of having dealings with a scammy company, tell us more on our share your experience page. Let's leverage community knowledge to fight scams.

Summary

Boardsi presents itself as a premium executive recruitment platform, but a closer look at public reviews, BBB complaints, and user reports on Reddit and TrustPilot reveals a consistent pattern: the company’s incentives are not aligned with the best interests of the customer. Instead of functioning like a traditional recruiter—where the hiring company pays for talent—Boardsi relies on a pay-to-play model where candidates fund the service.

This model creates predictable issues: aggressive sales tactics, pressure to provide payment details quickly, weak follow-through after onboarding, low-quality role suggestions, and mixed or unreliable communication. While Boardsi maintains enough surface-level legitimacy to avoid being labelled an outright scam, the structure of the business operates in a way that systematically disadvantages customers.

This is exactly what we classify as a scam of plausible deniability—a system engineered so that misleading behaviour is profitable, yet always excusable. The harm is real, but the mechanism is subtle.

Key Takeaways

• Boardsi's revenue depends on candidate payments, not successful placements, creating incentives that work against the customer’s goals.

• BBB complaints focus on aggressive onboarding, rushed credit card capture, weak support, and long wait times for actual opportunities.

• Reddit and TrustPilot reviews highlight shoddy work, including AI-generated CVs with errors, unprofessional conduct, and low-quality board roles.

• The company appears legitimate on the surface, but repeated user experiences reveal consistent patterns of misrepresentation and poor transparency.

• Boardsi fits the definition of a “scam of plausible deniability”—a structure that benefits from your hope while providing little value in return.

• The safest rule: Never pay recruiters for potential opportunities. Real executive search firms are paid by companies, not candidates.

FAQ Boardsi Scam