How to Identify Fake Candidates in Recruitment

Just as technology develops at a rapid rate, so too do the methods in which it’s used. Developments in tech lead to developments in wider society, both to its benefit and detriment. Recent advances have created an influx of IT candidate fraud. 

It’s a nightmare scenario both for IT hiring managers, who must now determine whether a candidate is genuine, and for job applicants, whose resumes are now competing for attention alongside these fraudulent candidates.

In information technology, that can become even more difficult to distinguish. If they’re applying for tech roles, then they are likely proficient in various technologies that can make the fraud more convincing.

So how do you get ahead of the curve to eliminate the noise? By better understanding how fake candidates are flooding the IT marketplace, you can more easily spot them. If any questions arise along the way, then contact us online.

What Is IT Candidate Fraud?

IT candidate fraud is multifaceted. It can range from minor and individual, such as dramatizing experience and skillsets, to malicious and structural, like creating a false identity to gather intel for antagonistic governments.

For instance, the U.S. Justice Department has discovered a pattern in recent incidents of candidate fraud. Last year, it reported that North Korean citizens were using fabricated identities to work remotely, most notably in IT positions, for U.S. companies and funnel their earnings into North Korean nuclear and military programs.

The severity is a spectrum, and it can sometimes be difficult to discern, if at all, the type of candidate fraud you’re dealing with. But there are several measures you can take to combat it and, hopefully, outright discourage it in the first place.

How to Identify Fake Candidates in Recruitment

A surefire way to detect IT candidate fraud: the “perfect resume.” Fake candidates applying to jobs will often use Ivy league universities and Fortune 500 companies to bait hiring managers. If it’s too good to be true, then it likely is. Don’t let purported prestige blind you.

But here are some ways that you can weed out fake candidates:

• Verify with government-issued ID: If you have any lingering doubts about the authenticity of an IT candidate, then a governmental document can verify their identity and assuage your concerns.
• Conduct unique interviews: By asking follow-up questions as they naturally arise, you’ll be able to have a genuine conversation with the candidate. This will help you avoid conducting a robotic interview, something that a fake candidate might be skilled at. If they mention growing up in a specific area that you have knowledge of, then feel free to ask them about cultural details, such as their favorite restaurants or the schools they attended.
• Dig deeper on LinkedIn: Although some fraudulent candidates may appear to have a trustworthy LinkedIn profile, look at details such as the creation date and their connections. Do they have connections at the places and institutions they claim to have history with?

How to Identify Fake Candidates in a Video Interview

IT candidate fraud is far more common for companies that conduct interviews over video, rather than in person, particularly if they have a vast IT skillset, which makes committing the fraud even easier. In a similar vein, fake candidates run rampant in IT applications for remote roles. In a video interview, they can use artificial intelligence to nail a job interview.

They’ll use AI technologies like deepfakes to alter their appearance and ChatGPT to formulate answers in real time. Some AI tools have been designed for the explicit purpose of nailing a job interview. Fake candidates could also use AI to help them with their other techniques, such as reading from another monitor or receiving covert instructions through an earpiece.

To counteract these measures, look for inconsistencies in their answers by asking yourself the following questions:

• Are there delays in their reaction times? 
• Can you get them to describe real-life scenarios or personal details of their life? 
• Is something off about their speech patterns? 
• Do their answers follow ChatGPT’s standardized four-bullet-point system?
• Does their light source cast shadows in the right places? 

If it feels unnatural, then trusting your gut in these situations is typically the way to go.

How HR Departments Can Prevent AI-Generated Candidate Fraud

In late April, CBS News reported a story that highlighted an instance in which a hiring manager was interviewing a candidate, and his intuition told him that the candidate was using deepfake technology to change their appearance. When he asked the candidate to wave their hand in front of their face as a safeguard, they refused to comply. The hiring manager abruptly ended the video call.

The best way to prevent AI-generated candidate fraud is to hold interviews in person whenever possible. The aforementioned hiring manager’s cybersecurity company now flies viable candidates out to their offices and covers all travel expenses, seeing it as a worthwhile expense in terms of the time saved and the peace of mind established. This ensures that the candidate won’t be able to use technology during the interview to nail every component of it, something that should be easy for an IT interviewee to accomplish.

Of course, the feasibility of this depends on factors like location and budget, but in-person interviews are the best ways to protect your company from falling victim to IT candidate fraud. If you’d like to discuss how it’s best counteracted in IT staffing, then fill out our online contact form at any time.