The Growing Threat of Fake Candidates
Fake applicants are quietly becoming one of the biggest risks in remote hiring. These are individuals who secure legitimate roles using false identities to access systems, steal data, or claim salaries they haven’t earned.
It’s an organised, global problem, fuelled by tools that make fake people look and sound real, AI-generated photos, deepfake video calls, and even proxy interviews handled by someone else in real time.
The problem for hiring teams? Most remote recruitment systems were built for speed and flexibility, not for fraud prevention. That’s exactly what these fake candidates exploit.
Why Fake Candidates Are on the Rise
A mix of motive, technology, and process gaps has made this problem harder to spot:
Motives: Some applicants aim to gain access for later cyberattacks, steal intellectual property, or funnel wages to sanctioned areas
Tools: Deepfake tech, AI tools, and proxy interview networks make fake identities more convincing.
Environment: With interviews, ID checks, and device handovers now mostly virtual, many companies lack consistent verification controls.
Stage 1: Pre-Hire | The Best Point of Defence
The best time to stop remote hiring fraud is at the very beginning of the hiring process. Most incidents can be prevented with behavioural screening, identity checks, and simple recruiter training.
Red Flags to Watch For
Unusual online presence: Brand new LinkedIn profiles with long job histories, small networks, or AI-style headshots.
CV patterns: Repeated templates, vague descriptions, or recycled project details.
Suspicious communication: Brand new email addresses or phone numbers, strange time zones, or scripted replies.
Reluctance on ID: Avoiding live ID checks, mismatched faces, or poor-quality documents.
Interview clues: Fixed gaze, lagging responses, or off-camera prompting.
Steps for Hiring Teams
- Train hiring managers to test for authenticity with live, experience-based questions.
- Add identity verification, such as live video checks or reverse image searches.
- Use your ATS to look for repeated application data.
- Set up a clear plan on how to flag and review concerns early.
Stage 2: Post-Hire | Technical Checks to Confirm or Dismiss Risk
Even after hiring, there’s still time to detect fraudulent candidates. This stage relies on Security, IT, and HR working closely together.
Technical Signs to Look For
- Equipment shipped to an unexpected address.
- Access via unrecognised IPs, VPNs, or VPS tools.
- Logins from multiple countries within short timeframes.
- Signs of virtual cameras or remote-control tools.
- Regular lag or audio/video sync issues on calls.
- Unapproved screen-sharing or remote access apps.
If any of these appear, log them, escalate, and review before acting.
Stage 3: Response | Handling Suspected Candidate Fraud Safely
When suspicion arises, the response usually falls between Talent Leaders, HR, Security, and Legal, which can make responsibility unclear. Mistakes here risk privacy breaches or wrongful dismissal.
The safest route is to prepare a clear, documented response plan before you need it.
Build a Response Framework
- Create a cross-functional team: Include Security, IT, HR, Legal, TA, and an executive contact.
- Define decisions: Agree on what triggers further checks or closure.
- Map out workflows: Combine technical and behavioural findings and define a clear action plan.
- Track outcomes: Measure the speed of detection, response time, and financial impact avoided.
Guardrails for Fair Process
- Don’t act on one red flag alone; look for patterns.
- Avoid bias. For instance, not everyone uses social media.
- Keep evidence, maintain privacy, and document decisions.
Stage 4 | Implementation: A Simple Plan
You don’t have to start with a huge project. Build a small, repeatable loop that HR, TA, IT and Security can run and follow easily.
1) Map the risks in your flow
List where fraud is likely to slip in. Sourcing, screening, interviews, offer, onboarding, and first 30 days.
2) Agree on the checks for each stage
Pick two or three checks per stage. Keep them consistent and logged.
3) Enable the controls
Use the tools and settings already at your disposal. Add new tools where needed.
4) Set routes to escalate
Decide who reviews cases, what evidence you need, and when to pause.
5) Train the people who click the buttons
Give short guides, crib sheets, and sample prompts. Refresh quarterly.
6) Measure, then tidy
Track time to detect, time to action, and near misses. Use what went wrong and what went well to readdress processes.
Useful Tools to Explore
These tools can help streamline checks and detect suspicious activity. Always assess what fits your stack, risk, and budget. (These are examples, not endorsements)
Identity verification: Onfido, Veriff, and Sumsub provide live video ID and document checks.
Deepfake detection: Reality Defender and GetReal Labs can detect manipulated media and live call anomalies.
Email, phone, and device risk: SEON offers data enrichment and device fingerprinting.
Device control: Jamf and Microsoft Intune enforce device compliance and can block unverified access.
Sign-in analytics: Okta includes alerts for impossible travel and risky logins.
Interview tools with integrity checks: HireVue adds anti-cheating measures and identity validation options.
Final Thoughts
The amount of fake remote candidates isn’t slowing down, and the tools used are only getting smarter. The answer isn’t more hiring steps, it’s better ones.
By putting structured checks in early and keeping Security, HR, and Talent aligned, companies can protect both genuine employees and their reputation.
If you’d like help reviewing your hiring process or comparing your current checks to this guide, Consortia can advise.
