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   / isabelrasmussen  

Guest: Giuseppe Morgana:   / 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

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