Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of recruiting, and not always in the best ways. A new and growing concern for employers is the use of AI by impostors to impersonate real people or fabricate entire identities to secure remote roles. Deepfake videos, cloned voices, and AI-generated documents are making it easier than ever for scammers to appear legitimate.
This isn’t just an HR headache. Hiring a fake candidate can expose an organization to cybersecurity breaches, theft of sensitive and proprietary data, and serious reputational damage.
A New Twist on an Old Scam
In early 2025, the FBI cautioned employers about an increase in foreign actors, some tied to organized cybercrime, posing as U.S. workers to infiltrate company networks. But the problem extends beyond one region or industry. The same deepfake tools used for entertainment and marketing are being repurposed by criminals to fool employers during the hiring process.
It’s now possible for a person to appear on video as someone else entirely, speak in a cloned voice, and present fabricated credentials that pass initial review. For HR and recruiting teams already stretched thin, these fakes can be difficult to spot, especially when interviewing virtually or reviewing hundreds of online applicants.
In short, the conveniences of digital recruiting have also opened the door to digital deception.
Why Remote Work Makes It Harder
The transition to remote and hybrid work has increased hiring flexibility, but it has also removed many natural verification points that occur during face-to-face interactions. Recruiters may never meet a candidate in person. Documents are shared online. Interviews take place over platforms that can hide subtle audio or video manipulation.
Additionally, with online postings now attracting hundreds or even thousands of applicants, hiring teams have less time to examine each profile closely. That makes it easier for a convincing fake to slip through.
Protecting Your Organization from AI-Generated Applicants
There’s no perfect safeguard, but a few smart practices can dramatically reduce risk. Consider integrating these steps into your hiring process:
- Add live authenticity checks.
When video interviewing, ask candidates to complete spontaneous movements and actions, like turning their head, moving their hand, or reading a sentence you provide on the spot. These actions can reveal the video glitches that deepfakes struggle to mirror. - Use multi-stage interviews.
Multiple conversations with different interviewers make it harder for an impersonator to maintain consistency. Incorporate practical, role-based questions that require detailed responses rather than rehearsed answers. - Verify everything.
Confirm employment history, education, and professional licenses through legitimate channels, not just from the information provided by the candidate. Request professional references and require identity verification before making a final offer. - Scrutinize documents and profiles.
Inconsistencies in grammar, formatting, or terminology can signal AI-generated materials. Compare resumes with LinkedIn or other public profiles for alignment. - Cross-check location and logistics.
While staying compliant with anti-discrimination laws, confirm details like work hours or time zones that correspond to the candidate’s stated location. - Educate your hiring managers.
Recruiters and managers should know what to watch for, like off-sync audio, lighting issues, or camera delays that don’t match real-time conversation. - Vet your own tools.
Some companies now offer AI systems to detect deepfakes, but employers should approach these with caution. Always review vendors for data security and bias compliance and ensure any automated screening tool is backed by human judgment.
Don’t Forget Compliance
Any new verification measure must align with employment and privacy laws. Employers should ensure background checks, identity verification, and automated tools comply with:
- “Ban-the-box” and fair-chance hiring regulations
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- State and local privacy and biometric data laws
- Rules governing automated decision-making or algorithmic bias
Partnering with legal, IT, and cybersecurity teams helps ensure that protective steps don’t create new concerns.
The Bottom Line
The rise of AI-driven job fraud is a reminder that technology works both ways. While AI can streamline recruiting, it can also be weaponized against unsuspecting employers. The best defense is a structured hiring process that balances efficiency with diligence.
In other words: trust your process, but test it, too. A few extra verification steps could save your organization from costly mistakes in the future.
