“The candidate” may not be a single person: Deepfakes, proxy interviews, and synthetic personas
Bottom line
Identity fraud isn’t just “the wrong name on paperwork.” It can be a coordinated handoff where one person interviews, another shows up, and a third completes deliverables.
Executive summary
Impersonation fraud has expanded with remote interviewing and AI-enabled tools. Proxy interviews, synthetic personas, and deepfake-assisted video calls make it easier to present credibility on camera while decoupling identity from capability.
For procurement, the relevant question is not “can it happen?” It’s “what role categories justify stronger interview integrity and identity continuity expectations?”
What this is not
- Not a claim that deepfakes are everywhere
- Not anti-remote interviewing
- Not a demand to add friction to every hire
A short field vignette
A candidate interviews exceptionally well and is onboarded quickly. Within weeks, the delivery quality is inconsistent, and the person avoids live collaboration. The team later realizes the voice, cadence, and problem-solving style don’t match the interview experience.
Procurement levers (without duplicating the lifecycle/auditability POV)
Procurement can set a clear expectation: identity continuity matters most for roles with high access and high impact. That translates into role-tiered requirements around interview integrity and onboarding confirmation.
Start here
For high-impact roles, require one live, interactive capability moment where identity and performance are evaluated together.
About the author
Simon Gray, Vice President, Workforce Solutions
With over 25 years of experience in strategic staffing, Simon leads Procom’s Workforce Solutions division to help clients hire quickly and compliantly.
