Deepfakes are pervasive, and a new report says 38% of managers suspect a fraudulent employee is already working at their company undetected.  

The hiring process may be only the first place a fake identity gets through. A new report from Checkr found that 38% of managers suspect a fraudulent employee is already working at their company undetected. The Hiring Hoax 2026 is based on a survey of 3,000 U.S. managers involved in hiring, and it shows the problem growing. Forty percent have interviewed a candidate and later found them to be using a fake identity, up from 31% in 2025. 

Employers are trying to address this. Formal fraud training among HR teams jumped from 17% to 71%, and 62% of organizations now use third-party background checks, up from 53%. Yet 63% focus fraud prevention primarily on the pre-hire stage, while 6% prioritize post-hire prevention.  

Only 23% of managers are extremely confident their hiring process would catch a fraudulent candidate. 

That gap leaves employers exposed once new hires gain access to company systems, sensitive data, and intellectual property.  

“AI is changing the nature of hiring fraud. Employers can no longer assume that a polished resume, a convincing interview, or a seemingly valid identity tells the whole story,” says IIan Frank, chief product officer at Checkr. “Fraud doesn’t end at the offer. Companies need to verify who they’re onboarding and keep earning that trust by protecting their systems and data as employees gain access.” 

Checkr’s report also found: 

• 68% of managers believe candidates are better at faking their identities with AI than companies are at detecting it, up from 62% in 2025; 

• 60% say AI has made virtual interviews harder to trust, compared with 51% last year; 

• 65% have uncovered candidates who misrepresented their skills or experience, up from 60%; 

• 28% have knowingly advanced a candidate despite suspecting dishonesty because they needed to fill the role quickly; and 

• 58% believe an employee at their company is currently working another full-time job, and 29% have confirmed at least one such case. 

Looking to dive deeper? We keep an ever-growing archive of HRO Today Association member webinars. Watch now: “AI Governance: Move Fast Without Breaking Trust.”