Not long ago, verifying an employee’s identity was a simple badge swipe at the office, a familiar face at the morning stand-up. But those days are gone. Today, you’re just as likely hiring someone you’ve never met in person, approving access requests from halfway across the world, or dealing with an IT help desk call that sounds legit but could be a deepfake.

Remote work has changed the game. Deepfakes are getting scarily good, and social engineering attacks are more convincing than ever. And hiring fraud? It’s not just an HR headache; it’s a full-blown security risk.

We keep hearing the same questions from security leaders:

  • How do we verify a new hire’s identity when we’ve never met them in person?
  • What if that IT help desk call isn’t from our employee; but from an attacker using AI-generated voice cloning?

The answer isn’t a single tool or policy. It’s a layered approach that blends people, processes, and technology to stay ahead of attackers. Let’s break it down.

Identity Fraud in Remote Hiring: A Real Security Risk

Hiring fraud isn’t new, but it’s evolving. A few years ago, the biggest concern was applicants faking credentials. Now, we see attackers using deepfakes to ace video interviews or job candidates outsourcing their work to someone else entirely.

This isn’t just a hiring issue – it’s a security vulnerability. A fraudulent employee with access to sensitive data can cause severe damage before they’re caught.

Red Flags to watch for in Remote Hiring

  • Inconsistencies in documents – Mismatched names, birthdates, or work history across resumes, LinkedIn, and applications.  

If a candidate’s work history on their resume doesn’t align with their online presence, they may be fabricating experience, or worse, hiding something. 

  • Camera-off interviews – Some candidates claim “technical issues” or refuse video calls altogether.  

Bad actors may use pre-recorded deepfakes or have someone else impersonate them during an interview. 

  • Hesitation on basic questions – Something’s off when someone struggles to answer details about their own experience.  

A legitimate candidate should be able to talk about their past roles and responsibilities with ease. 

  • Unusual work and shipping addresses – One location for work, another for device shipment? That’s worth a second look.  

Attackers often use separate addresses to receive corporate devices, keeping their actual location hidden. 

Best Practices to Prevent Hiring Fraud

A strong hiring process is your first line of defense against identity fraud. Attackers are getting more creative, but a combination of awareness, process improvements, and technology can help keep them out.

1. Train Hiring Teams to Detect Identity Fraud

Companies have been caught off guard because HR teams weren’t prepared for these tactics. Hiring managers and recruiters need to know what to watch for.

It’s not enough to check a LinkedIn profile and move on. You need a layered approach—background checks, biometric verification, and real-time video interviews.

Raise awareness of emerging threats: Educate teams on deepfake risks and common hiring fraud tactics.

Provide targeted training: Require training on verifying candidate identities and spotting red flags.

Establish clear escalation procedures: Implement clear escalation processes for suspicious applications.

2. Strengthen the Remote Hiring Process

A few extra verification steps can prevent bad actors from slipping through.

Conduct live video interviews and require candidates to verify their ID on camera.

Use multiple forms of ID – government-issued documents, notarized proof, or biometric verification.

Verify references independently – source contact details yourself rather than relying on what’s listed on a resume.

Ship devices and security keys separately to the verified address to prevent fraud.

3. Use Technology to Verify identity

Security tools can add an extra layer of defense where human checks fall short.

Leverage third-party identity proofing services to cross-check applicants against government databases.

Deploy AI-driven fraud detection to flag inconsistencies in applications and online profiles.

Use biometric authentication to ensure the person logging in is the same person you hired.

Hiring fraud isn’t just an HR issue, it’s a serious security risk. The more organizations treat it as such, the harder it becomes for attackers to succeed.

Verifying Remote Employees Post-Hire

The next challenge: How do we confirm an employee’s identity later?

One of the most common attack vectors today is the IT help desk. Attackers know that if they can convince IT to reset an account, they’ve got a free pass into your systems. And with deepfake audio and stolen credentials, impersonating employees is easier than ever.

“Attackers don’t need to hack your systems if they can just call IT and get access handed to them,” says a security expert in our network.

How Attackers Exploit IT Support?

  • Knowledge-based authentication is weak. Too many identity verification methods rely on personal details that attackers can find online.
  • Deepfake audio and video make impersonation easier. It’s no longer enough to “recognize someone’s voice” over the phone.
  • Phishing-resistant authentication is still not standard. Many IT teams reset accounts based on email or SMS verification, which are both easily compromised.

Best Practices for Verifying Employee Identities

1. Implement Phishing-Resistant IT Support Workflows

A strong help desk authentication process should include:

  • Push notifications to an enrolled device before making account changes.
  • Security keys (e.g., YubiKeys) that require physical possession.
  • Multi-factor identity verification, including biometrics, where possible.

2. Automate Identity Verification

  • Use automated workflows to verify IT requests before escalation.
  • Log and audit all account recovery requests to detect patterns of abuse.
  • Alert employees when a password reset is requested—so they can flag unauthorized changes.

3. Train IT Teams to Detect Social Engineering

  • Teach help desk agents to spot impersonation tactics.
  • Require authentication before discussing sensitive details.
  • Have a fallback method for identity verification, such as a known security keyword.

Organizations that rely on outdated identity verification methods are vulnerable, and attackers know it. It’s time to close the gaps.

Verifying Remote Employees Post-Hire

From Preetham Gowda, President of Technology at AuthX

  • Move beyond passwords: You're already behind if your verification process still relies on usernames and passwords.
  • Adopt phishing-resistant authentication: Passkeys, Push authentication, and Biometrics should be the standard.
  • Rethink IT support authentication: No employee should be able to reset credentials with just an email or phone call.
  • Train hiring teams and IT staff: They're the first line of defense against identity fraud—make sure they're prepared.
  • Regularly audit and update verification processes: Threat actors are constantly evolving. Your defenses should, too.

Final Thoughts: A New Approach to Identity Verification

The way we verify identities needs to evolve because attackers have already moved on from the old playbook.

Remote work isn’t going anywhere. That means identity fraud will only grow more sophisticated. Security teams must:

  • Strengthen remote hiring verification to prevent fraudulent employees from gaining access.
  • Improve IT help desk authentication to stop attackers from taking over accounts.
  • Adopt phishing-resistant authentication across the entire workforce.

The future of work is remote. The future of identity verification? It must be stronger, smarter, and harder to bypass.

Want to learn more about securing your entire workforce, including contractors and third parties? Let’s connect! .