Welcome to the new frontier of hiring, where truth is stranger than fiction. Deepfakes. AI-generated resumes. Interview impersonation. What once sounded like sci-fi paranoia is now a real and growing threat to businesses of all sizes—especially small businesses.
We recently came across a jaw-dropping story in an accounting industry forum that reads like a cautionary tale for the AI era. It could have been catastrophic—but it wasn’t, thanks to a sharp-eyed hiring team. It’s a wake-up call we all need.
A small company had extended offers to two promising candidates for a remote full-stack engineer role. Both candidates nailed their video interviews, cleared background checks, and began onboarding. Everything looked legit—until the first red flag appeared.
Both new hires requested their equipment be shipped to a different address, claiming to be temporarily living with a sibling out of state. Odd coincidence? You bet. That raised alarm bells, and the team dug deeper.
Here’s what they uncovered:
AI-generated profile photos that didn’t match the candidates’ LinkedIn profiles
I-9 documentation that looked suspiciously fake
IP addresses from onboarding sessions that didn’t match their claimed locations
They rescinded both offers immediately. Equipment may have been lost, but they dodged a major data and compliance disaster.
As we unpacked this on our podcast (Super Exciting HR Fun Time), we asked ourselves: Why go to all this trouble? Is it about snagging a free laptop—or something more? Turns out, the motivations could range from:
Scam staffing pools placing fake candidates to earn referral payouts
Unauthorized workers using false identities to gain employment
Bad actors seeking access to systems for financial theft or data breaches
The methods are evolving fast, and even US-based hires aren’t immune. This isn’t just a cybersecurity issue—it’s an operational and reputational risk.
You may think you’re too small to attract attention—but that’s exactly why scammers target businesses like yours. You’re more likely to:
Have lean HR and IT teams
Trust quickly to fill urgent roles
Skip identity verification steps due to time or budget constraints
The result? You risk hiring someone who isn’t just underqualified—but someone who literally isn’t the person you interviewed.
Fraudulent candidates often leave behind digital breadcrumbs—if you know what to look for.
Delayed responses that suggest they're being coached or Googling answers
Camera off or using filters; poor video quality masking identity
Visible typing during conversations
Different appearance between rounds (suggesting a switch)
Requests to ship equipment to alternate addresses
IDs that don’t match LinkedIn or HR profiles
Sparse or recently created social media profiles
References that are difficult to verify or oddly vague
Answers that feel scripted or “too perfect”
Refusal to discuss technical work in detail
Urgent desire to start immediately with no questions asked
You don’t need a million-dollar tech stack to defend against fraud—you just need a few smart, proactive steps. Here’s how we at Accounting Prose think about it:
Hold at least two interviews with different team members, spaced 24–48 hours apart. This makes it harder to impersonate the same person consistently or use AI-generated visuals.
Require cameras on. If someone resists, reschedule. Delays, typing, or robotic responses should prompt further review—or a hard stop.
Ask to see a government-issued ID on camera during the final interview. Have them read aloud basic info (like date of birth or address). Compare it with their I-9 and LinkedIn.
Yes, it feels awkward. But it's a vital layer of protection. E-Verify can validate documentation, but it doesn’t confirm you’re hiring the right person.
Send laptops only after identity verification is complete.
Require VPN usage to maintain a static IP address and secure login credentials. We use TailScale and love it.
Track login activity across tools like Google Workspace and LastPass. Look for out-of-country logins or odd patterns.
Implement role-based access controls so no new hire gets full access on Day One.
Most fraud is caught by someone saying, “Hmm, that doesn’t feel right.” Teach your team to trust their instincts and document concerns. HR professionals aren’t trained document examiners—but pattern recognition can go a long way.
Use a simple checklist for red flags and ensure hiring decisions aren’t made in isolation.
Before onboarding, assign a paid trial task. This gives you a chance to:
See them work in real-time
Conduct another video check-in
Verify communication patterns and technical skills
Don’t rely on email or canned letters. Call references directly and ask about communication style, work ethic, and cultural fit. Compare those responses to what you observed during interviews.
AI is part of the problem—but it can also be part of the solution. New tools are emerging to detect synthetic voices, video deepfakes, and document forgeries. Stay up to date, but don’t rely solely on automation. Human intuition is still your best asset.
Hiring in 2025 is complex, no doubt. But fraud prevention doesn’t have to slow you down. With just a few tweaks to your hiring workflow, you can make it nearly impossible for scammers to slip through—while still giving great candidates a smooth and human experience.
Most real applicants won’t mind these precautions. The ones who do? That’s your signal to dig deeper.
We want to hear from you. Have you encountered fake candidates, AI-generated resumes, or bait-and-switch hires? What worked—and what didn’t? Drop a comment and help other small business owners stay safe.
Because HR might not always be exciting, but it sure is essential.