Deepfakes, AI resumes, and the growing threat of fake applicants

Malwarebytes’ Thursday piece, dated 9 December 2025, examines how deepfakes, AI resumes, and fake applicants are increasingly used to infiltrate hiring pipelines. It explains that fake applicants encompass AI-generated resumes, fake or borrowed identities, and outsourced, scripted interviews, sometimes featuring deepfake video or voice tools.

AI-generated resumes are now common, with language models producing polished, keyword-heavy CVs and attackers generating dozens of variations to defeat applicant tracking systems. The article notes that at Malwarebytes, as in this Register article, details provided by applicants can fail to match interview responses, with identical names or phone numbers appearing across multiple applications.

It highlights broader risks to recruiters and everyday users, including fake profiles on LinkedIn and phishing or credential-retrieval attempts tied to suspicious connections. The piece also outlines protective steps, such as verifying identity early with camera-on calls, cross-checking details, watching for red flags, and enforcing secure onboarding to reduce potential entry points.

Recent University of Portsmouth research is cited to show just how common fake profiles can be online, with 80% of respondents reporting suspicious accounts and 77% receiving link requests from strangers.