Fake Resume: How Recruiters Spot and Verify One

A fake resume either contains false information or is submitted by someone pretending to be another person. Both can be caught more reliably when verification is built into your hiring process.

As a recruiter, you're often one of the first people to review a candidate. If a fraudulent candidate makes it through screening, it can create problems for both you and the hiring manager or client. Catching problems early protects the hiring process and your credibility.

What is a fake resume?

A fake resume is one that misrepresents the candidate, either through false details or a false identity. The warning signs and verification steps differ depending on whether the problem is false credentials or false identity.

• Embellished or fabricated details: A real person stretches a title, invents a degree, or adds an employer they never worked for. This kind of lying on a resume comes to light when you verify employment, education, and other factual claims.
• A fake candidate: The person behind the resume isn't who they say they are. They may use a stolen identity, send a stand-in to the interview, or use a deepfake on video.

Signs of a fake resume

Some of the strongest warning signs are details that conflict with other records or that the candidate can't explain. One discrepancy alone doesn't prove anything, but several together are worth a closer look. These are different from the usual resume red flags you may already look for, such as unclear dates or job titles.

• Dates and titles that don't match: Compare the resume with the candidate's public profile. A SHRM report on fake applicants quotes a recruiter who has seen gaps between resumes and LinkedIn profiles.
• Employers you can't find: If you can't quickly confirm that an employer exists, do a little more checking before drawing conclusions. Small or closed businesses can be hard to find. Be cautious if the only contact information for a former employer came from the candidate.
• Odd education details: The FTC's credential guidance flags degrees out of normal order, degrees earned very fast, and several degrees in one year. It also warns about schools with names that sound like famous colleges.
• Vague accomplishments: Broad claims like "drove major growth" aren't necessarily suspicious on their own. They become more concerning when the candidate can't explain what they did, who they worked with, or how the result was measured.

Signs of a fake candidate in a video interview

Possible identity fraud may show up when details from the interview don't match the candidate's application or earlier interactions. Government warnings have particularly highlighted remote hiring, where employers may never meet the candidate in person.

The FBI's IC3 warning from June 28, 2022, describes people using deepfakes and stolen personal data to apply for remote jobs. The roles in those reports included IT, programming, database, and software jobs. In those interviews, lip movement didn't fully match the audio, and coughs or sneezes were out of sync with the video.

The same IC3 warning says some background checks found the applicant's personal data belonged to someone else. SHRM's reporting adds that some fake applicants refuse to turn on the camera. It also says some unqualified candidates hire a skilled person to do the interviews for them.

During a video interview, these checks can help:

• Set clear expectations for video interviews: If video is required for the role's interview process, tell candidates in advance. If someone can't use video, ask about the reason before you draw any conclusion.
• Pay attention to signs of outside coaching: SHRM suggests listening for other voices in the background that may be advising the candidate.
• Confirm continuity across interview rounds: Compare the person in the first interview with the person in later rounds. If the person appears or sounds materially different in a later panel interview, pause the process and verify identity before moving forward.

How to check for a fake resume before the offer

For important claims, use independent sources where possible rather than relying only on information supplied by the candidate. Apply the same verification standards consistently across finalists.

• Employer checks: SHRM's resume fraud guidance says to verify that past employers are real and their contact numbers are legitimate. Look up the company's main line yourself instead of using a number from the candidate.
• Degree confirmation: The FTC says most registrars confirm attendance dates, degrees, and majors on request. It advises checking credentials even from well-known schools. It also warns that some diploma mills run their own fake verification services, so don't stop at one phone call to a number the candidate gave you.
• School accreditation: Look up the school in the U.S. Department of Education's accreditation database. If you can't verify the school through the database, look for other reliable sources and ask the candidate for clarification before drawing a conclusion.
• Follow-up questions: SHRM's advice on AI-aided lies is to ask about core duties and the metrics the candidate was judged on. Not every hesitant answer means dishonesty, since someone may be nervous or forget specifics. Consistently vague or evasive answers can be a reason to verify the claim more closely.
• Skills evidence: A short work sample, set up like other pre-employment assessments, can help you evaluate whether the candidate can demonstrate the skills they claim.
• Follow the required process for background checks: The FTC's background check rules require a written notice in a stand-alone document, not inside the application. You also need the candidate's written permission.

In agency work, agree with the client on who runs which check. That prevents checks from being missed because each side assumes the other is responsible.

What to do when something doesn't add up

When something doesn't match, ask the candidate to explain before you decide anything. A mismatched date might be a typo, a company might have been bought and renamed, and a gap might be time spent caring for family.

• Ask in a neutral way: Share what you found and ask the candidate to walk you through it. Document their explanation accurately and objectively.
• Document what you checked: Note each source you used, the date, and the result. Keeping a clear record helps you explain how the issue was reviewed and resolved.
• Follow the adverse action steps: If a background report drives your decision, the FTC requires a notice with a copy of the report before you act. That gives the person a chance to explain negative information.
• Report suspected identity fraud: The FBI asks companies that see deepfake or stolen-identity applicants to report it to the IC3.
• Tell the hiring manager or client: Explain what you checked and what you found, in plain facts. Leave out guesses about motive.

Check identity and history before you submit

The earlier you verify questionable information, the more time you have to resolve it before the candidate moves further in the process. Decide where each verification step belongs in your recruitment process: profile checks at screening, identity checks on video, and employer, school, and background checks before the offer.

Document a standard verification process, then adapt it when a role requires additional checks. That keeps your process consistent and easier to explain.