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Behind the Mask

Welcome to TurboCheck’s dedicated blog for tackling candidate fraud and enhancing hiring security.

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Beware of Job Applicants with Fake Companies

Beware of Job Applicants

with Fake Companies

Dec 12, 2024 | 1 min read

Fraudsters are creating copycat websites of legitimate businesses to deceive recruiters, fake work experience, and pass background checks.

Busted Series #05: Linkedin Jail

Busted Series #05:

Linkedin Jail

Nov 27, 2024 | 1 min read

Meet Selina. Selina has a big problem—she just lost her LinkedIn account. But that’s no surprise to us. Months ago, a recruiter ran a TurboCheck on her email and phone number, and it instantly set off an explosion of warnings. Selina had all the attributes of a scammer. Tips: When you see the badge "LinkedIn helped me get this job," always verify when the account was created. Some fraudsters forget that LinkedIn can’t help someone land a job before they even join the platform. These are easy lies to detect...

top 20 IT jobs for fake candidates

Top 20 IT/Tech Job Titles

For Fake Candidates

Nov 25, 2024 | 1 min read

Don’t be fooled by patterns: fake candidates come from every job title, location, and color. Appearance is not enough to identify fraudulent candidates. Here are the updated top 20 IT/Tech job titles targeted by fake candidates over the past 4 weeks, based on more than 45,000 applicants:

Recruiters Swamped by AI-Generated Resumes

Recruiters Swamped by

AI-Generated Resumes

Nov 21, 2024 | 4 min read

The latest insights from a The Wall Street Journal podcast highlight a growing trend: AI-driven tools are allowing job seekers to flood recruiters with tailored resumes at an unprecedented rate. With AI making it easier than ever to customize applications, recruiters are now struggling to sift through a fire hose of resumes to find true talent. Adding to the challenge, "fake candidates" are on the rise. These are applicants who look perfect on paper—thanks to generative AI—but lack the actual skills and experience to back it up. Once hired, the gap in capability quickly becomes apparent, costing companies time, resources, and momentum. Interestingly, the podcast raised an important question: Should companies allow candidates to use tools like ChatGPT during interviews? For some, these tools might be part of their workday once hired, so why not? But does that blur the line between authentic skill and AI support?

Attacks by North Korean IT workers: What You Need To Know

Attacks by North Korean IT workers:

What You Need To Know

Nov 20, 2024 | 1 min read

Recent alerts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Mandiant (part of Google Cloud) reveal that North Korean IT workers have been infiltrating major U.S. corporations, including Fortune 100 companies, by posing as remote contractors. Their mission? To generate revenue for North Korea’s regime and gain access to sensitive company networks for potential cyber intrusions.

Unleashing TurboCheck on Fake Candidates!

Unleashing TurboCheck on

Fake Candidates!

Nov 19, 2024 | 1 min read

How does it feel to detect fake candidates in just 5 seconds? Powerful, unstoppable, and a bit like riding into battle with laser swords :) In today’s hiring landscape, verifying candidate authenticity isn't just nice to have—it's essential. With TurboCheck, recruiters can swiftly cut through deception and focus on genuine talent.

Busted Series #04: Moonlighter

Busted Series #04:

Moonlighter

Nov 19, 2024 | 1 min read

Meet Michael. He seemed like the ideal job candidate—a Data Engineer with eight years of experience at a major insurance company. He aced all the interviews and everything was going smoothly… until we dug deeper. Our client decided to run a TurboCheck on his email and phone number. What did they find? Michael had applied to three different jobs under three different names. Moonlighters need not apply! Busted.

Top 20 U.S. Cities for fake candidates

Top 20 U.S. Cities

For Fake Candidates

Nov 18, 2024 | 1 min read

Hiring in tech? Stay alert—no region is exempt from candidate fraud, with high-risk activity spanning coast to coast. Here are the top 20 U.S. cities for fraudulent tech candidates:

The Hidden Truth of Offshore Fraud In IT Hiring

The Hidden Truth of

Offshore Fraud In IT Hiring

Nov 17, 2024 | 1 min read

Every recruiter in IT/tech knows about fake candidates. You may even suspect that some are lying about their location, but without proof, it’s hard to be sure. So, where are they truly calling from? Now we know. Around 15% of fake candidates claim to be US-based while operating from offshore. Thanks to IP geolocation, we’ve pinpointed the top 10 countries where these candidates are actually located. You might have guessed some of them, but others could surprise you. Check the list:

Understanding Fake Candidates

Understanding Fake Candidates:

How They Deceive?

Nov 15, 2024 | 1 min read

I’ve noticed questions floating around about what “fake candidates” actually are, so here’s my take: Fake candidates are individuals who use deceptive practices to obtain employment or data access to engage in fraudulent activities. They typically fall into two main categories: 1/ Unqualified Candidates – Those without the skills or work authorization, but who try to appear qualified. 2/ Qualified Candidates – Skilled but deceitful after getting hired.

The Surge of Fake IT Canidate is Real

The Surge of Fake IT Canidate

It's Getting Harder to Spot Fake

Nov 13, 2024 | 1 min read

The Surge of Fake IT Candidates is Real, and It's Getting Harder to Spot Recruiting in the IT space has always been challenging, but now we’re facing a whole new level of deceit. Have you seen what’s happening on TikTok? Job seekers are seeing ads for AI interview assistants—yes, AI tools that help them ace both fit interviews and technical assessments. They are literally outsourcing their interviews to AI, and they’re not even trying to hide it.

The Rising Cybersecurity Threat of Fake Job Applicants

The Rising Cybersecurity Threat of

Fake Job Applicants

Nov 5, 2024 | 1 min read

Cybersecurity risks are evolving, and CISOs now face a new challenge: fraudulent job applicants. In her interview with Jason Henninger, veteran CISO Joanna McDaniel Burkey discusses how deepfakes, AI, and remote work have opened doors for bad actors to infiltrate corporate systems through the hiring process. Whether it's unqualified candidates or criminal organizations with malicious intent, the risks to companies are growing.

Busted Series #03: Offshore Scam

Busted Series #03:

Offshore Scam

Nov 13, 2024 | 1 min read

Bhuvana seemed like the perfect Java developer. But wait, our client dodged a bullet when they decided to run a TurboCheck on her. What did they find? Bhuvana wasn't exactly who she claimed to be. She wasn't even in the same hemisphere!

top 10 IT jobs for fake candidates

Top 10 IT/Tech Job Titles

For Fake Candidates

Oct 25, 2024 | 1 min read

Hiring in tech? Beware! The talent pool is a minefield of fake candidates. It’s not just DevOps, .NET, or Full Stack—fraudsters are targeting roles across the entire IT spectrum.

Breaking News: AT&T Suffers Major Data Breach

Breaking News: AT&T Suffers

Major Data Breach

Oct 18, 2024 | 1 min read

This morning, AT&T announced that nearly all customer data (over 100 million customers) was compromised in a 2022 security breach. This incident impacts cellular customers, mobile virtual network operators using AT&T’s network, and landline customers interacting with these numbers. While the breach did not expose personal information like Social Security numbers or the content of calls and texts, it did include interaction details that could potentially be linked to customer identities using public tools.

The Hidden Costs of Candidate Fraud And Insider Threats

The Hidden Costs of Candidate Fraud

And Insider Threats

Oct 16, 2024 | 1 min read

Fake IT candidates are a significant burden for healthcare, fintech, tech, IT staffing, and IT consulting companies, consuming resources, delaying projects, and exposing businesses to substantial risks. Shockingly, insider threats were responsible for 31% of all data breaches in 2023, with each incident carrying an average global cost of $8.76 million (source: Cybersecurity Insiders).

Inside More Sophisticated Fake IT Candidate Scheme

Inside More Sophisticated

Fake IT Candidate Scheme

Oct 15, 2024 | 1 min read

Ever wondered how sophisticated fraudsters operate in the world of remote hiring? Here's a glimpse into their cunning strategy: The "Mastermind" seeks US-based "Mules" with no coding experience willing to lend their identity and physical address for a cut of the earnings. They connect them with "skilled" offshore "Developers" who can pass the interviews on their behalf and get the jobs. These Developers are offered $0.50 per minute if they pass the interviews. If they land the job, the salary is then split three ways, with 50% going to the US-based Mule, 25% to the Mastermind behind the scam, and 25% to the offshore Developer — who ends up doing the work!

Busted Series #02: Digital Ghost

Busted Series #02:

Digital Ghost

Oct 13, 2024 | 1 min read

Richard seemed like a software developer. But TurboCheck revealed he had no email history, no digital presence, and wasn’t even Richard! He was actually Morris—fake name, fake resume. Busted!

FBI Warning: Beware of Deepfake Job Candidate!

FBI Warning:

Beware of Deepfake Job Candidate!

Oct 4, 2024 | 1 min read

Just stumbled upon this fascinating article from HRMorning about the rise of deepfake job candidates. Link in the comments. The FBI even issuing a warning about this new scam. In a nutshell: 𝟭. scammers post fake job listings, 𝟮. steal real candidate IDs, 𝟯. create counterfeit IDs, and 𝟰. use AI to craft convincing personas during interviews.

Alert: New Employee Scam, Moonlighters

Alert: New Employee Scam

Moonlighters

Sept 23, 2024 | 1 min read

Remote work has led to a new scam where IT/Tech professionals secure many jobs simultaneously, get paid high salaries, and try not to get fired for as long as possible. dreyfan openly boasted about this practice on Hacker News. You can view his post here:

Busted Series #01: Caught Red Handed

Busted Series #01:

Caught Red Handed

Sept 11, 2024 | 1 min read

Everything seemed perfect with DevOps superstar Kristina - until Stacy Wilkins ran a TurboCheck. In just 5 seconds, the result screamed SUSPICIOUS!! Find out what happened next in the first episode of our new "BUSTED" Series

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