Applicant Fraud Unmasked

Applicant fraud is rising fast, from AI-written resumes to full-blown fake identities and bot candidates. According to Gartner, By 2028, 1 in 4 candidate profiles will be fake. And a Resume Builder survey showed that 60–70% of candidates admit to lying on their resumes. 

In this RPOA webinar, Matt Corbett (President, ZRG Embedded Recruiting RPO) and Dan Harten (Customer Marketing Strategist, hireEZ) break down what’s really happening and how talent teams can protect their organizations.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• What applicant fraud really means today (5 types: from AI embellishment to state‑sponsored fake candidates)
• Why fraud is rising: remote work, easy access to AI tools, and a highly dynamic U.S. labor market
• Real stories of fake candidates—from phone screen to onsite
• How to spot AI‑assisted resumes, fake credentials, and AI‑enabled interviews
• Practical steps RPOs, TA leaders, and recruiters can take right now

Key Takeaways for Talent Teams:

• Implement early identity verification and structured escalation paths
• Use camera-on policies, deep follow‑up questions, and live coding / work samples
• Train and empower recruiters to “see something, say something” without fear of losing the req
• Re‑elevate reference checks and background verification
• Combine human judgment with emerging tools (Phenom, Eightfold, Beamery, hireEZ, Crosschq/Clarify, AI avatars, etc.)

With the rise of suspicious candidates, bots, or AI‑inflated resumes, this session will help you build a practical playbook for detection, escalation, and prevention.