Hiring in 2025 is a high-stakes game. While organizations strive to find the best talent, a growing number of Fraudulent applicants are playing by deceptive rules. From fake resumes to forged certificates, candidate fraud is on the rise—and it’s more sophisticated than ever.
But what drives people to commit employment fraud? And how exactly do they pull it off?
This blog takes you inside the minds of fraudulent applicants—exploring their most common tactics and showing how professional background screening can uncover the truth before it’s too late.
🎭 Why Do People Fake It?
In a competitive job market, the pressure to stand out is immense. Some candidates resort to dishonest methods to improve their chances of landing a job, especially in sectors where:
- Verification is lax
- Remote work limits physical checks
- Urgent hiring leads to shortcuts
These applicants believe the risk of getting caught is low, especially when recruiters rely on surface-level screening. The internet also makes it easier than ever to access fake documents, rent addresses, and buy degrees from diploma mills.
⚠️ Top Tactics Used by Fraudulent Applicants
Let’s explore the most common (and alarming) fraud tactics employers should watch out for:
1. Fake Educational Degrees
One of the most common frauds. Candidates list degrees from prestigious universities—but those institutions have no record of them.
🚩 How it works:
- Buying fake certificates from online vendors
- Using degree mills that look real but aren’t accredited
- Editing real university templates with new names/dates
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Direct university verification through secure APIs
- Checking UGC-recognized institutions only
- Verifying serial numbers, QR codes, and seals
2. Forged Work Experience Letters
Applicants claim experience from companies where they never worked—or inflate their role and tenure.
🚩 How it works:
- Designing fake letterheads and signatures using tools like Canva
- Enlisting help from fake HR contacts or shell companies
- Claiming stints at companies that have shut down
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Employment verification calls to HR or reporting managers
- Database checks for closed or shell entities
- Identifying gaps or overlaps in employment history
3. Rented or Fake Addresses
Candidates use rented rooms or fake addresses to pass address checks, especially when background checks are delayed or skipped.
🚩 How it works:
- Submitting an address of a friend, hostel, or co-living space
- Using short-term rentals during the verification period
- Giving vague or incorrect PIN codes
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Geotagged photo verification
- Physical site visits by verification agents
- Cross-matching address with utility bills or Aadhaar records
4. Online Certifications from Non-Recognized Platforms
Not all certifications carry weight. Candidates add glamorous-sounding courses from unaccredited websites.
🚩 How it works:
- Adding MOOC certificates without real evaluation
- Claiming credentials from organizations that no longer exist
- Presenting self-created certifications
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Verifying certifications with issuing bodies
- Identifying whether a course has industry value
- Checking platform legitimacy and accreditation
5. Impersonation During Interviews (Proxy Candidates)
Especially in technical hiring, some candidates send others to attend video interviews or tests on their behalf.
🚩 How it works:
- Sharing logins with a more skilled friend or paid impersonator
- Using deepfake tools to mimic voice and facial movements
- Attending the interview in poor lighting or distorted video
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Liveness checks and video KYC
- AI-powered face match tools
- Monitoring for voice/eye movement inconsistencies
6. Criminal Record Concealment
Applicants with legal issues may omit or falsify their police record, especially if they’re applying remotely or in another state.
🚩 How it works:
- Leaving out prior convictions or pending cases
- Submitting fake police clearance certificates
- Using variations of their name
🛡️ How screening helps:
- PAN-based criminal database checks
- Statewide FIR checks and court record verifications
- Police verification from candidate’s local jurisdiction
7. Manipulated Salary Slips & Bank Statements
To negotiate higher pay, some applicants inflate their current CTC using doctored payslips.
🚩 How it works:
- Editing digital payslips using PDF tools
- Submitting screenshots of fake bank entries
- Creating dummy UAN/EPFO statements
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Contacting previous employers for salary verification
- EPFO database validation
- Checking for format inconsistencies and metadata
8. Using Dummy References
Fraudulent applicants often provide fake references who will say anything to help them secure a job.
🚩 How it works:
- Giving a friend’s number and listing them as a manager
- Using a burner number or email created just for this
- Claiming ex-colleagues as reporting authorities
🛡️ How screening helps:
- Verifying the official email ID/domain of referees
- Cross-checking org charts or LinkedIn data
- Asking detailed role-based questions to expose fakes
📊 Shocking Stats: Fraud in Hiring Is Real
Here’s what recent data tells us:
- 1 in 6 resumes in India has some form of discrepancy (NASSCOM)
- 11% of education documents submitted are unverifiable or fake (Zella Screening, 2024)
- 7% of applicants attempt impersonation or use proxies in technical interviews (Internal client study, 2023)
- Fake degree mills have grown by 27% in the last 3 years, especially in Tier 2 cities
🧠 What HR & Employers Must Do Differently in 2025
🔹 Never skip verification—regardless of role or contract type
Even interns and freelancers may have access to your systems or clients.
🔹 Digitize and automate verification
Use trusted platforms like Zella Screening to perform real-time checks at scale.
🔹 Train your TA and HR teams
Help recruiters spot red flags early—such as suspicious timelines, mismatched profiles, or reluctant referees.
🔹 Check before onboarding
Most frauds happen because checks are done too late or not at all.
🔹 Repeat checks for long-term employees
Consider periodic re-verification for roles that are high risk or data sensitive.
🔐 Real Case: What One Startup Discovered Through Zella
A SaaS startup hired a remote developer who seemed perfect—fluent in multiple coding languages with a glowing CV. Before onboarding, they opted for Zella’s 5-point screening package.
Results:
- His B.Tech degree was non-verifiable.
- The company he claimed to have worked for had shut down in 2021.
- His current address was a coworking space, not a residence.
The candidate withdrew once confronted—saving the company from an estimated ₹8 lakh loss in training and client delays.
🚀 Conclusion: Trust, But Always Verify
Fraudulent applicants are creative, fast, and always a step ahead—unless you’re prepared. They exploit every possible gap in your hiring process—from weak verifications to urgency bias.
The solution? Implement thorough, tech-enabled background checks that spot lies before they become liabilities.
Zella Screening combines AI, human intelligence, and compliance-driven processes to protect your hiring pipeline—ensuring that the people you hire are the people they claim to be.
