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A recruiter has shared a stark warning about the risks of AI after discovering she wasn’t interviewing a real person—but a fake AI candidate.
Several weeks ago, Bettina Liporazzi, the recruiting lead at letsmake.com was contacted by a seemingly ordinary candidate who was looking for a job. Their initial message was clearly AI-generated, but Liporazzi told Newsweek that this “didn’t immediately raise any flags” because that’s increasingly commonplace.
However, what did pique her interest was that another candidate reached out approximately an hour prior with an almost identical message. This gave her some initial doubts, but she arranged an interview with the candidate to try and get a better idea about them.
“They provided a name and an email to schedule the call, but when they joined, they weren’t logged in to any email address,” Liporazzi, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, said. “They claimed their camera was broken, which is a common excuse. I insisted that having the camera on was required, and they left and rejoined the call twice, saying they had to restart their laptop.”
Each time the candidate joined the call, Liporazzi got a warning from Google to say the person wasn’t signed in and “might not be who they claim to be.”
The AI candidate that Bettina Liporazzi found herself interviewing before they abruptly left the call.
Bettina Liporazzi / letsmake.com
On the third attempt, the candidate finally put their camera on, and Liporazzi’s suspicions were confirmed.
“I noticed they were using an AI filter to hide their real identity. So, I asked them to place a hand in front of their face as it would remove their AI cover. They didn’t do it and left the call a few seconds later,” she continued.
Overall, it was a “creepy experience” for Liporazzi, but she shared footage of the video call on LinkedIn to educate others about the risks of AI. The video shows the moment Liporazzi asked the AI candidate to put a hand in front of their face, only for them to leave abruptly.
The encounter left many people stunned, and the post has amassed over 3,600 reactions of 800 comments since it was shared online.
As generative-AI becomes increasingly powerful, the line between what’s real and fake is becoming harder to decipher. Ben Colman, co-founder and CEO of Reality Defender, a deepfake detection company, tells Newsweek that AI impersonation in recruiting is “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Colman explained that recruiters need “practical strategies to verify authentic human interaction” during calls. However, relying solely on humans to solve this won’t work, as Colman notes that even his own staff can sometimes struggle to do this manually.
“Look for inconsistencies in facial movements, particularly around the eyes and mouth, unnatural voice cadence, or delayed responses to unexpected questions. The most effective approach combines technical verification—like requesting candidates to perform specific real-time actions—with organizational protocols that incorporate detection tools,” Colman said.
Having a “layered security approach” is critical, according to Colman, as he says that deepfake technology is becoming even less perceptible.
This was echoed by Liporazzi, who is concerned by the number of fake online accounts, and she urges others to stay vigilant when hiring. She felt well-equipped to handle the situation because letsmake.com uses AI to aid efficiency, meaning she was aware of the dangers of identity fraud.
Liporazzi’s alternative ways of spotting an “AI imposter” include asking them to turn their face to the side, ensuring their camera is on during the call, and asking them to remove filters and backgrounds.
“I was surprised by how many people had no idea this was happening, and I’m glad that sharing my experience has helped others who might have fallen for identity fraud. If it raises awareness and helps others stay alert, then at least something good has come from it,” Liporazzi told Newsweek.
“There are resources online that help recruiters recognize what a fake account looks like. I encourage recruiters to do everything in their power to stay ahead of it by subscribing to newsletters, networking with professionals, and staying up to date with emerging technologies and verification tools,” she continued.
Among the hundreds of comments on her LinkedIn post, many people shared their shock over the AI interview candidate.
One comment reads: “Wow, I did not know this was even a thing!”
Another LinkedIn user wrote: “Props to you Bettina Liporazzi for spotting this quickly and knowing what to do! Appreciate you sharing.”
One person replied: “Take me back to a pre gen AI world please.”
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