Deepfake Job Hires: When Your Next Breach Starts With an Interview
Jan 05, 2026
The employee who doesn't exist Not long ago, the idea of a fake employee sounded far-fetched. Resume fraud? Sure. Outsourced interviews? Occasionally. But a completely synthetic person (face, voice, work history, and identity) getting hired, onboarded, and trusted inside a company used to feel like science fiction. That era is over. Gartner predicts that by 2028, one in four candidate profiles worldwide could be fake . The firm also reports that 6% of job candidates admit to interview fraud, including impersonation or having someone else interview for them. Hiring teams are already seeing face-swapping and synthetic identities appear in real interview workflows. Taken together, the pattern is clear: companies are increasingly interviewing, and in some cases hiring, people who don't exist. These "employees" can pass screening, ace remote interviews, and start work with legitimate credentials. Then, once inside, they steal data, map internal systems, divert funds, or quietly set the...
