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Spammed with Fake Candidates? It’s Par for the Course in 2025.
Across the board, companies are seeing a surge in fake applications after putting job openings up online. These fake candidates are wasting employers’ time by providing falsified work histories, identities, locations, and other information.
In 2025, fake job candidates are a real problem that makes it more difficult than ever to identify qualified candidates during the hiring process. What are some growing trends with fake candidates, what are some fraudulent candidate red flags to look out for, and most importantly, how can employers combat this problem?
Fake Candidate Trends into 2025
Recent statistics regarding bot job applications reveal that they are making a significant impact on the recruitment landscape. Here are four examples:
- As of 2024, 43% of U.S. job seekers were using bots or automation tools in their job search.
- 77.6% of recruiters and hiring managers reported encountering candidates who misrepresented themselves to a moderate or greater level throughout the hiring process.
- In a test case, one individual applied to 2,483 jobs using an AI-powered application bot while eating breakfast.
- As of late 2024, 66% of employers placed significant importance on personalized cover letters, highlighting the challenge posed by AI-generated applications.
- The Bot Jobs platform, dedicated to conversational AI careers, reported 4,799 job applications submitted in 2024 alone, with a cumulative total of 25,426 applications since its launch.
- The FBI has issued warnings about criminals using AI “deepfakes” and stolen personal data to apply for remote jobs, particularly in the tech industry.
These statistics indicate a growing trend of job seekers leveraging AI and automation in the application process. This shift is significantly impacting recruiters’ workloads and changing the dynamics of job applications across various industries.
“ I have never seen such a volume of fake applications, it’s unnerving.” – Recruiter on Reddit
Source: Reddit
Red Flags to Spot in a Fake Candidate’s Resume
🚩 Using +1 in their phone number. While a +1 isn’t always indicative of a fake candidate, recruiters usually associate a +1 with fake profiles.
🚩 The name seems too generic: Fake profiles usually contain generic names like “Scott Johnson” or “Andrew Smith” which are typical of scammers who want to pass initial bias.
🚩 Being too vocal about being U.S.-based. When a candidate repeats that they work for a US-based company even though their resume says they have U.S. residency or work experience, this can be a red flag.
🚩 Having a Fake profile picture: An easy way to weed out fake candidates is to check if their profile pic is a stock picture. For example, recruiters have seen fake pictures stolen from a Walmart ad or another profile on LinkedIn. Running an image search can potentially weed out these imposters.
🚩 Run a duplicate profile search in your ATS: With this search, you can find emails, phone numbers that are reused with totally different names and some other altered resume details.
🚩 Has few connections on Linkedin. Fake candidates often have few connections ( less than 100)who are mostly recruiters.
🚩 Claims to work at a large company. Fake candidates will often claim to work at massive companies because it’s harder to find out if it’s false. On the other hand, true candidates should have personally identifiable information and connections at their current place of employment.
Ways to Identify Fake Candidates During Screening
🔍 Check Their IP Address: You can spot falsified location information by checking the IP address of the applicant. This information can be captured by your ATS when the candidate submits information, as well as through survey responses or direct emails. Look for resumes that state one location but come from an IP address that doesn’t match.
🔍 Ask them to describe their experience: When the candidate fails to describe the solutions they worked with or the company, it’s a big red flag.
🔍 Check for “Call Center” Vibes: Some recruiters have identified scammers when they get on the phone with the candidate and hear other people in the background as if they are in a call center
🔍 Ask personal questions. Ask questions relevant to the location they are supposed to be from, such as their favorite part of town, drink at a coffee shop, or things to do. If they are slow to respond to these questions or are unable, then you likely have a fake candidate.
🔍 Ask for a team referral. Before booking a call at all, tell them straight up you need a team referral as a verification method. Usually, the fake profiles will ghost your request.
🔍 Call them over the phone. Even if you plan to conduct a video call, ask them for their phone number and call it.
I work for a SaaS Startup where I recruit software developers and I receive many candidates that seem qualified but once I get on the phone with them, its a trainwreck.”
-Recruiter on Reddit
The Danger of Accepting Fake Candidates
You may be wondering why anyone would take the time to make a fake profile and apply for a job that they aren’t qualified to do. Well, the unfortunate answer is that some of these fake candidates do not have good intentions, while others are just trying to find a good job, even without having the credentials.
For example, there has been a case in which a firm was hacked by an employee that they unknowingly hired from North Korea. These individuals try to gain entry into companies at lower levels but then attempt to breach systems and gain information not available to outsiders.
We don’t want to assume all fake candidates are this nefarious, though. Perhaps some are just hopeful to land a role and “fake it till they make it”. After all, studies show that almost three-quarters of job applicants stretch the truth on their resumes.
Nevertheless, whether you accidentally hire a hacker from abroad or an underqualified fibber, both situations bring harm to your organization. First of all, you waste time with the wrong candidate. Secondly, you will incur financial loss in the case of getting hacked or simply losing productivity with an unqualified employee.
How to Escape the Fake Candidate Trap
To escape the fake candidate trap and ensure you’re hiring genuine, qualified talent, partnering with seasoned recruiting researchers at Corporate Navigators is a strategic move. With over 25 years of experience, we specialize in candidate sourcing, recruitment research, and name generation across various industries. By leveraging our expertise, you can:
- Access a wider talent pool: Our research team can identify candidates beyond typical online platforms, including those with a limited internet presence.
- Benefit from thorough vetting: Our candidate sourcing service involves calling and screening potential candidates to determine their interest and qualifications.
- Receive timely and accurate information: Corporate Navigators delivers results within two business days, ensuring you have up-to-date and reliable candidate data.
- Gain competitive intelligence: We can go beyond sourcing, offering market research and competitive insights to inform your hiring decisions.
- Streamline your hiring process: With our data-driven approach, you can make faster and more effective hiring decisions, reducing the risk of encountering fake candidates.
By partnering with Corporate Navigators, you’re not just filling positions; you’re building a robust talent acquisition strategy that can help you navigate the complexities of today’s job market and avoid the pitfalls of fake candidates. Give us a call today or click on the button below to give us more details about your business needs.
