Spot Synthetic Candidates Before They Infiltrate The Workforce: Deepfakes Beyond Memes
Spot Synthetic Candidates Before They Infiltrate The Workforce: Deepfakes Beyond Memes
The hiring process has always required a delicate balance between efficiency and diligence. In a post-pandemic, remote-first world, that balance is more challenging than ever. Today, hiring managers and HR professionals are not just vetting résumés and personalities; they are defending their organizations against synthetic identities powered by generative AI and deepfake technology.
It sounds like science fiction—something straight out of an Isaac Asimov book. However, it’s not. It’s happening now.
According to background screening company Certn, modern fraudsters can craft entirely fabricated applicants using:
- AI-written résumés generated and refined by ChatGPT
- Deepfake avatars for live video interviews (yes, live)
- Cloned voices trained from public audio clips such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
- Fake diplomas from diploma mills are cross-verified on fraudulent websites
- Fake former employers and phone numbers answered by AI voice tools
As shared in the podcast, What the FTE?, hosted by Certn’s Global Head of Background Screening, Donal Greene, and Certn guest, EMEA Sales & Commercial Director, Doug Beavis, bad actors worldwide are increasingly using these tactics. One confirmed case even involved a North Korean fraudster infiltrating a U.S. company as a remote hire. Another saw a deepfake CEO impersonation nearly lead to catastrophic internal damage at WPP, one of the world’s largest advertising firms (Certn, 2025).
Furthermore, it’s not just anecdotal: a recent study by iProov found that only 0.1% of people could consistently identify AI-generated deepfakes. Meanwhile, 17% of hiring managers have encountered synthetic candidates during video interviews (ResumeGenius, 2024).
Why Synthetic Candidates Are a Real Threat
Deepfake hiring fraud is not just about getting a paycheck under false pretenses. It’s about infiltrating sensitive systems, exfiltrating data, or sabotaging business operations. In our work at Karbon Intel, we have seen these fraudsters use remote work roles to:
- Gain access to internal databases
- Steal intellectual property
- Funnel insider information to third parties
- Create long-term vulnerabilities within organizations
This is not résumé padding. This is espionage.
The risk is amplified for small to medium-sized businesses. While these smaller organizations may not have the same security budgets as a Fortune 500 company, they still handle sensitive customer information, internal strategy documents, and financial systems that can be exploited.
So, how do you fight back?
How to Spot a Synthetic Applicant
Certn provides an excellent “Deepfake-Proof Hiring Checklist” with practical steps any HR team can take today:
1. Biometric Identity Verification
Use ID verification systems with liveness detection, facial recognition, and motion prompts. Don’t rely on PDFs and scans; verify credentials with issuing sources.
2. Behavioral Interview Techniques
Ask unscripted, location-specific, or emotion-based questions. For example:
- “What’s your favorite coffee shop near your last office?”
- “Tell me about a time you surprised yourself at work.”
AI-generated personas often stumble on personal nuance and unscripted emotion.
3. Movement and Environmental Prompts
Ask candidates to:
- Touch their nose or glasses
- Shift angles or lighting
- Hold up nearby objects
These real-world actions often break deepfake overlays and reveal rendering errors.
4. Train Your Team
Your recruiters are the first line of defense. Train them to look for:
- Laggy or mismatched lip-sync
- Irregular blinking or overly smooth expressions
- Hesitations when asked off-script questions
Risk Management Must Extend to Hiring
According to a Harvard Business School article on risk management, operational risks like fraud, compliance failure, and reputational damage must be assessed and actively mitigated. Hiring fraud now falls squarely into this category.
Risk management is no longer just for IT and legal teams. In today’s hiring landscape, HR must become an operational risk partner, equipped with the tools and mindset to detect and prevent deception before it compromises the organization.
For high-trust roles, especially those with access to finances, customer data, or internal systems, we recommend:
- Mandatory biometric ID verification
- Independent background checks by FCRA-compliant providers
- Randomized interview questions by trained investigators
- Periodic post-hire identity audits in remote settings
The Bottom Line
The illusion of confidence is the enemy of security. As technology becomes more convincing, it’s easier to mistake polish for proof.
The good news? You don’t need to predict every scam. You need to update your hiring process to meet the risks of this new era.
At Karbon Intel, we specialize in investigative risk assessments that bridge the gap between hiring, technology, and operational security. Let us discuss hiring for a remote workforce or concerns about digital deception.
We can assess current practices, test systems against deepfake threats, and help build a defensible, scalable screening process that protects businesses.
Contact Karbon Intel today to schedule a remote work hiring risk audit and training for team members.
The next hire should bring value, not vulnerability.
ChatGPT generated this article’s first draft using a substantial, researched, human-crafted prompt. A human being at Karbon Intel created all subsequent drafts and final work.
References
Greene, D. (Host). (2025, May 5). How to deepfake-proof your hiring process [Audio podcast episode]. In What the FTE?. Certn. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0mkaS2d0A8BNNSmebjaXJV
iProov. (2024). The State of Deepfake Detection: Human and Machine Performance Compared. https://www.iproov.com
ResumeGenius. (2024). The Rise of AI Job Applicants: A Survey of Hiring Managers. https://www.resumegenius.com
Harvard Business School. (2023). Managing Operational Risk: The Overlooked Strategic Priority. https://hbs.edu