The Person in Your Video Interview Might Not Be Real

Imagine interviewing someone for a remote job. Their résumé looks impressive. Their LinkedIn profile seems legitimate. They answer your questions confidently, and you can even see their face during the video interview.

Everything checks out…or does it?

AI has made it increasingly easy to create convincing photographs, fake professional profiles, and even realistic video appearances. These are called deepfakes, and cybercriminals are beginning to use them to impersonate job applicants and access company systems.

What are deepfakes and how can threat actors use them to steal your confidential data?

North Korean Operatives Got Jobs at American Companies

This is not just a hypothetical problem. In June 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges connected to an elaborate scheme involving North Korean IT workers.

Federal prosecutors say the operation used stolen American identities to secure remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 businesses. The scheme reportedly generated more than $5M in revenue.

The criminals didn't just create fake resumes. They used stolen identities, fake professional profiles, and U.S. accomplices who received company laptops and helped overseas workers connect remotely. They also used AI and face-swapping technology during video interviews to conceal their identities.

In other words, companies believed they were hiring legitimate American employees when they were actually providing access to people operating under false identities.

Think about that. Even seeing someone’s face during a video call can no longer prove who they really are.

AI Makes Impersonation Much Easier

Creating a convincing fake identity used to require considerable effort. A criminal used to need believable photographs, a professional history, supporting documents, and the ability to communicate convincingly.

AI can now help them with several of those tasks. It can generate professional-looking profile pictures, polish fake resumes, create convincing cover letters, and help someone prepare interview answers. More sophisticated tools can even alter someone’s appearance during a live video call.

Many people use AI to improve their CVs and prepare for job interviews. Now AI goes far beyond that, and people can use the technology to pretend to be an entirely different person.

Why This Matters Beyond Hiring

So what can a fake job applicant do once they successfully get through the interview process? What do they hope to achieve once they get a job offer?

Once someone obtains a legitimate company account, they may gain access to email, internal documents, cloud storage, customer records, and other sensitive information. They won’t need to hack into the network because they’re granted full insider access with the same privileges as a regular employee.

They can also use their new role to trick other insiders. Imagine receiving a video call from someone who claims they were just hired. They might ask you to share a document, approve an account request, or help them access a system. If their appearance and identity have been fabricated, you could unknowingly help an attacker gain even more company information

Familiar Faces Are No Longer Enough

For years, we have encouraged people to verify suspicious requests by speaking directly with the person involved. That advice still matters, but unfortunately, AI now complicates the verification process. A convincing voice, photograph, or video appearance should not automatically override normal security procedures.

Pay attention to what someone asks you to do.

• Are they requesting access they should not need?

• Do they want you to share a password or verification code?

• Are they asking you to bypass a company policy?

• Does the request seem unusual for their role?

Those warning signs matter more than how realistic the person looks.

Protect Yourself From AI Impersonation

Fortunately, you can take steps to protect yourself from deepfake video callers. Focus on a few practical habits:

• Verify unexpected requests through a trusted contact method.

• Never share passwords or MFA codes with someone who contacts you.

• Follow normal approval procedures, even when the request appears to come from a coworker.

• Be cautious when someone pressures you to provide immediate access.

• Report suspicious account requests or unusual behavior to IT.

If you participate in hiring, follow your organization’s identity-verification procedures rather than relying solely on a video interview. Remember, a polished online profile does not necessarily prove someone’s real identity!

Conclusion

The North Korean remote-worker scheme shows that attackers don't always need to break through a company’s defenses because they can sometimes convince someone else to give them access or open the door.

AI makes that deception easier by helping criminals create increasingly believable identities. A professional photograph, impressive résumé, or realistic video conversation might seem convincing.

Unfortunately, appearances are becoming easier to manufacture. So the next time someone asks you to trust them because you can see their face, remember that seeing someone’s face is no longer enough to verify their true identity.