AI Scams in Remote Recruiting

With the rise in remote work and recruiting, a new scamming technique has surfaced – and is surging: deep-fake candidates. Scammers who are skilled in their own right pass themselves off as candidates for remote positions. If hired, they then hack the employer’s systems and either sell the technology or block access to it until the employer pays them ransom. Since the “bandit” is inside their system, the employer has little choice but to capitulate. North Korea is a significant perpetrator, using identities stolen from American workers (or offered up by American workers for a cut of the ransom). 14 North Koreans on a list wanted by the FBI have been joined by other “perps” from Russia, China, Malaysia and South Korea. They are often very skilled IT workers whom companies are reluctant to dismiss.

Warning signs: If a candidate looks perfect, be skeptical. Consider using a company in the new identity-verification industry that has developed in response to this problem. Three companies in this industry are Denfy, Jumio and Socure. Ratings are unknown. HINTS: If a candidate participates in a video interview, have them move their head back and forth (AI probably will not be programmed to do that), and see if their mouth movements correspond to what they are actually saying. The companies named above can probably help. Searching under “how to spot and prevent deepfake ai” on the web can also provide useful sources.