Is it just me? Or are resumes looking a lot like job descriptions these days?

Like, nearly word-for-word.

Bullets from the job description are appearing as bullets on the resume.

And this is all courtesy of ChatGPT, Gemini, or your favorite MLM.

According to my team, this type of resume fraud is rampant. 

But that’s not the only fraud that’s happening.

According to Gartner, 1 in 4 candidates will use some form of AI to cheat the hiring process by 2028.

Candidate fraud is quickly becoming the fastest-growing threat that talent acquisition teams are dealing with today. Beyond resume-to-job-description matching, here are some other types of fraud happening:

• Interview Co-Pilots: a candidate uses an AI co-pilot to provide ideal answers to interview questions in real time during an interview. 

• Candidate Avatars: During a technical interview, an unskilled candidate uses AI tools 

• Fake Candidate: Applicant uses a fake name and persona in an attempt to gain entry into a company.

Those are some new tricks. But old tricks like the ones below are also increasing as employers opt to use AI themselves to conduct all or a portion of their screening process:

• Proxy Interview: An applicant has a more qualified person take the interview on their behalf.

• Bait & Switch: A highly qualified individual aces the interview, but someone else shows up for the first day of work.

• Fake Resume: Candidates with no relevant experience submit entirely fictitious resumes, complete with made-up skills and employers.

Okay, so we’re under attack. Well, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but candidate fraud is definitely going to get worse, not better.

So what can we do?

Protecting your organization is critical and requires a modern, proactive defense. And fortunately, there is some low-hanging fruit you can implement. For example…

1. Let your candidates know that you’re using identity, AI, and fraud detection tools throughout the hiring process. 

2. Train your hiring managers on fraud awareness to help them identify red flags. 

3. For remote interviews, ask candidates to present a government-issued ID on camera. 

4. Audit your ATS and technology partners to see if they have integrated fraud-prevention features.

5. If your existing partners don’t have features, explore new options with a focus on identity verification and AI fraud detection early in the hiring process. Look at companies like TurboCheck, Attestiv, or Validia, which offer such services.

While the topic of candidate fraud might not be on your radar just yet, the reality is – it’s happening somewhere in your hiring process today. 

And it’s only going to get worse. 

The recommendation today is to begin building your defense before you hire a fake or unqualified candidate or before a business leader asks you for your candidate fraud strategy :)

Question → What kinds of fraud are you seeing and how are you handling it?

For more on this topic, get the Recruiting Leader’s Edge weekly email packed with additional resources, links, and vendors related to addressing candidate fraud.

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Use the following resources to go deeper on the topic of smart tech adoption in an age of rapid innovation. 

Podcasts to Listen to..

• "Candidate Fraud - It's a Recruitment Emergency" - The Recruiting Brainfood Podcast: This episode specifically addresses candidate fraud as an urgent crisis in the recruitment industry, discussing its current state, how to taxonomize fraud techniques, the risks of remote hiring, mitigation methods, and the role of technology (including AI) in detection. Listen Here

• “How to Fight Candidate Fraud: AI, Hiring Security, and the Future of Recruiting” - HR Famous: This episode, featuring the CEO of Greenhouse, dives deep into the growing challenges of candidate fraud, covering everything from AI-powered fake resumes to organized infiltration attempts and the role of security (like CISOs) in protecting the hiring pipeline. Listen Here

• "The Deepfake Hiring Crisis: AI Fraud in Job Interviews" - The Audit Cybersecurity Podcast: Directly tackles the use of AI and deepfake technology for hiring fraud, discussing security risks, North Korean operatives, and the future of identity verification in remote work, including the potential of behavioral biometrics. Listen Here

Videos to Watch..

• How to spot a liar | Pamela Meyer | TED: This is one of the most popular TED Talks of all time and is highly relevant to detecting deception, which is the foundation of detecting candidate fraud (like resume lies). Pamela Meyer is a certified fraud examiner and author of Lie Spotting. Watch Here

• I am a Fraud; I think you're a fraud, too | Melissa Hughes | TEDxWabashCollege: While focused on Imposter Syndrome (feeling like a fraud), this TEDx talk relates to the psychological context of "fraud" and self-perception, which can be an interesting lens when discussing candidate honesty. Watch Here

• Kathy Stokes: Let's Talk About How We Talk About Fraud | TED Talk: This talk challenges the narrative around victims of fraud, but it provides a broader context on understanding fraud and sophisticated crime networks, which can apply to the growing sophistication of candidate fraud. Watch Here

LinkedIn Posts About the Topic..

• "How our Talent Ops team automated candidate fraud detection with Zapier": This post is highly relevant. It details a lightweight, scalable system to automatically detect fraud signals early, such as location mismatch (IP/phone number vs. reported location), restricted countries for hiring, use of internet-based phone numbers (Google Voice, Skype), VPN detection, bot or automation activity.  See Post Here

• “How to spot a fake resume without bias: A recruiter's perspective” - Katrina Kibben: This LinkedIn post by Katrina Kibben is about the growing issue of candidate fraud in the recruiting industry, particularly concerning fake job applicants in high-volume roles like engineering. See Post Here

• “How to spot a fake resume without bias: A recruiter's perspective” - Katrina Kibben: This LinkedIn post by Katrina Kibben is about the growing issue of candidate fraud in the recruiting industry, particularly concerning fake job applicants in high-volume roles like engineering. See Post Here