The Fake Candidate Problem No One's Talking About

In this episode, Isabel Rasmussen, Proceso Talent, and Giuseppe Morgana, CTO of New Harbor, discuss the rising challenge of fake candidates infiltrating remote hiring processes. They share their firsthand experiences and practical strategies to identify, prevent, and stay ahead of fraudulent applicants, emphasizing the importance of technical tools and vigilant interview practices.

Host: Isabel Rasmussen https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelrasmussen/
Guest: Giuseppe Morgana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmorgana/

Main Topics:
The increasing prevalence of AI and impersonation scams in remote recruitment
Key signs of fabricated candidates: suspicious resumes, synced tech stacks, and predictability
Group tactics behind fake applications, including coordinated interview responses
Tools and techniques for detecting fake profiles on platforms like LinkedIn and GitHub
Best practices for organizations to protect their hiring process from AI fraud
The importance of continuous awareness and evolving security measures in recruitment

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to AI fake candidate challenges in remote hiring

01:07 - Signaling a potentially coordinated group of fake candidates

01:31 - Developing skills to ask the right interview questions

03:11 - Indicators of group tactics in interview results

04:28 - Cybersecurity insights and reports of coordinated attacks

05:20 - Impact of AI impersonation on hiring and the need for vigilance

06:33 - Tools and best practices for verifying candidate identities

07:25 - Using open source tools to analyze GitHub and LinkedIn profiles

09:13 - Call to action: hiring remote effectively while combating AI fraud

09:41 - Resources and open channels for questions on security measures

10:15 - Final thoughts and encouragement to stay informed and proactive

What We Actually Saw
Fabricated resumes — fake experience at well-known companies, tech stacks perfectly mirrored to your job posting. Mixed in with other types of embellishment like spending the past few years as a “Founding Engineer” at one of the largest consulting organizations in the world
Identity theft — real people's names, experience, and LinkedIn profiles attached to fake applicants
Hijacked LinkedIn profiles — not just fake ones, but real accounts that had been taken over
They showed up — these weren't just spam applications. They responded to emails, interacted naturally, and came to phone screens
Quality improved over time — phone screen responses got noticeably better as you went
How We Fought Back / Recommended Steps
Resume pattern detection — cross-referencing tech stacks against what companies actually use. Doesn't prove fraud alone but flags where to dig. High reliability signal even if not definitive.
Public profile forensics — checks on LinkedIn history, GitHub history, etc. for consistency
Video call tactics — asking candidates to turn off virtual backgrounds, wave hand in front of face. Acknowledge these feel absurd but they work as a first filter (at least for now).
Ask them about hometown questions
The in-person step — ultimately added a required in-person touchpoint for remote roles as the most reliable verification
Identity Proofing Tech - Traditional background checks focus on things like criminal history; what’s needed is a step that makes sure the person is who they are

The Human Cost
It's exhausting — every applicant now starts under a cloud of doubt about legitimacy, not quality
It changes the hiring experience for legitimate candidates too
The recruiter's evolving playbook — what worked six months ago doesn't work now. The arms race is real.
Emotional weight of knowing real people are being impersonated and harmed

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