Spotting the Fake: How to Protect Your Business from Deepfake Candidates

Increasingly Fake Profiles are filling your Inbox

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has transformed hiring, but it’s also created new risks. From fake résumés and AI-written portfolios to proxy interviews and deepfake video imposters, “fake candidates” are becoming a real threat for employers across Canada.

For companies that rely on remote or hybrid hiring, the challenge is no longer hypothetical or rare. According to Gartner, by 2026, 30% of enterprises will consider traditional identity verification unreliable due to AI-generated deepfakes.

At Agilus, we’ve seen this trend firsthand. While technology enables efficiency, it also demands new levels of vigilance from recruiters and employers alike.

Why It’s Happening

Deepfake technology and generative AI tools are evolving faster than most hiring processes. A candidate can now:

• Use AI to answer technical or behavioural questions in real time
• Hire someone to complete online assessments for them
• Employ a face-swap or voice-cloning app to attend virtual interviews
• Submit AI-generated work samples or résumés that pass basic screening

Some cases are motivated by desperation and others by deception. A few are even malicious, aiming to infiltrate corporate systems or steal intellectual property. Whatever the motive, the cost of hiring a fake can range from productivity loss to reputational and serious data security risks.

At Agilus, our recruiters are trained to balance technology with intuition. Tools can flag anomalies, but it’s the recruiter’s curiosity (their ability to ask deeper questions, notice inconsistencies, and follow instincts) that often exposes what AI can’t. In today’s world, hiring intelligently means hiring vigilantly,” adds Sherri Strong, Director, Organizational Talent & Development, Agilus Work Solutions

The Warning Signs

Spotting imposters isn’t easy; humans correctly identify deepfake audio or video only 24.5% of the time Still, there are telltale clues:

Visual indicators

• Subtle distortions or flickering around the face
• Unnatural eye movement or mismatched emotions
• Lag between speech and lip movement

Audio cues

• Robotic or monotone delivery
• Lack of ambient noise or delayed answers

Contextual red flags

• Overly polished or vague responses
• Résumés that can’t be verified
• References that sound suspiciously familiar

10 Safeguards to Spot Fake Candidates

Whether you hire directly or work with a recruitment firm, the following steps can help protect your time and organization:

1. Verify identity early. Ask for valid ID during the interview process, not after an offer.
2. Cross-check digital footprints. Review LinkedIn creation dates, profile photos, and connections.
3. Increase in-person or live-video interactions. Request short follow-up video calls when something feels “off.”
4. Use multi-person interviews. Diverse perspectives help detect inconsistencies.
5. Ask situational or cultural questions. AI or coached responses often fail at real-world context.
6. Interrupt or rephrase questions. Fakes relying on scripts or AI tools will stumble.
7. Check references early and thoroughly. Validate phone numbers, employers, and employment dates.
8. Incorporate skills or technical testing. Ask candidates to demonstrate knowledge live.
9. Use AI to fight AI. Tools like Copilot can help flag machine-generated writing or video responses.
10. Educate hiring teams. Make fraud detection part of recruiter onboarding and continuous training.

Conclusion: Hiring Truth in a Digital World

As deepfake and AI tools grow more sophisticated, authenticity is becoming the most valuable quality in hiring, and the hardest to confirm. Employers can’t afford to assume a polished interview equals a genuine candidate. The line between skilled and synthetic is thinner than ever, and the cost of getting it wrong can ripple through productivity, team morale, and trust.

That’s why every organization needs partners who understand both people and technology. Detecting fake candidates is about safeguarding opportunity for real talent.

Why Partner with Agilus

Agilus recruiters are trained to combine the best of both worlds: AI-enabled screening and human expertise. Our processes include early ID validation, reference authentication, and technical vetting designed to protect your business long before an offer is made.

With 50 years of experience, a national reach, and ISO®-certified hiring standards, we help employers build workforces that are not only qualified but authentic.

Protect your hiring process. Strengthen your teams. Partner with Agilus. We are experts in specialized talent, built for how you work.

FAQs for Employers

Q1: Are fake candidates really that common?

A: Yes; especially in high-demand fields like technology, finance, and healthcare. Gartner predicts AI-driven impersonation will continue to rise as verification tools lag behind (Gartner, 2024).

Q2: What’s the biggest red flag during an interview?

A: Overly scripted answers or inconsistencies between a résumé and spoken experience. Many fake candidates struggle to provide detailed, situational examples or respond naturally when interrupted.

Q3: How can employers protect themselves?

A: Standardize verification steps across all roles. Always cross-check digital and personal identification, conduct live interviews, and test technical or contextual understanding.

Q4: How does Agilus protect clients from fake candidates?

A; Agilus uses a multi-layered verification process designed specifically to detect fake candidates, deepfake applicants, and AI-generated résumés. Our recruiters receive continuous fraud-awareness training and combine AI tools with human expertise to validate identity early, verify credentials, and authenticate references before a candidate moves forward.

In addition, our team reviews hundreds of résumés, online profiles, and virtual interviews every month, giving them deep experience with both common and emerging synthetic techniques. This volume of exposure helps our recruiters quickly spot inconsistencies, patterns, and red flags. This ensures employers receive qualified, authentic talent and reducing the risk of hiring fraud.