Is your new hire really who they say they are? A fake candidate checklist for small teams
· 5 min read
On October 13, 2026, the FBI updated its warning to US employers about fake remote "IT workers" run by a foreign government scheme. The FBI alert says these workers now pay Americans to appear on camera, take part in job interviews, and verify fraudulent identities for them. It also says they often buy identity verification accounts to confirm stolen personal details will pass employment background checks.
A clean background check does not prove the person on your screen is the person named on the report.
Why now: a story small teams will recognize
The business below is a made-up example, built from situations small hiring teams describe. It is not a real company.
Picture a 12-person software and support company. Two people handle hiring on top of their regular jobs, and the CEO wants three roles filled this quarter. More applications feel off: polished resumes with no trace online, long pauses before every answer, coding tests that come back perfect.
They hire a remote support lead who says he lives in Ohio. His background check comes back clean. Weeks later, they learn he was never in the United States. Nobody was careless. They moved fast with checks built for an easier time.
The FBI says no single check catches this. It recommends "identity in depth": layered checks across the whole employment lifecycle. The alert describes paid stand-ins at interviews, borrowed professional networking accounts, and company laptops kept online at someone else's home. Add AI tools that feed answers during live interviews, and a busy team has a lot to watch. The answer is a few habits at the right moments.
The checklist
At the first screen
- Ask for a LinkedIn profile and a current or recent work email. Check that the email domain matches the employer they name. Treat this as one signal, not proof, since the FBI says these schemes pay to use other people's accounts.
- Note the candidate's stated time zone, then notice whether their availability fits it.
During live interviews
- Keep cameras on. Watch for audio that drifts out of sync with lip movement, long pauses before each answer, or eyes reading off to the side.
- Ask follow-ups that build on their last answer. A script struggles to go deeper.
- For skills tests, use a locked browser and ask the candidate to share their full screen while they work.
At the final round
- Do a live camera ID check. The finalist holds a government photo ID up to the camera, and you compare the photo to their face and the name to the application. Do this for every finalist and keep it to identity. It is not the Form I-9, and it is not the time to ask about citizenship or immigration status.
- Verify references yourself, reaching them through their company rather than the number the candidate gives you.
- For high-risk roles, meet finalists in person or send them to a testing center that checks ID. It adds days, so save it for roles that touch money, customer data, or key systems.
Before day one or the first shift
- Complete Form I-9 the way USCIS describes. Federal law requires employers to complete Form I-9 for every hire. USCIS says you generally must review the employee's documents in their physical presence, unless you use E-Verify and qualify for the remote alternative procedure. You can complete Section 2 after the person accepts your offer and before they start. It is due within three business days of the first day of work for pay. For a remote hire, an authorized representative you designate can review documents in person.
- Let the employee choose which acceptable documents to show. You cannot specify which ones.
- Ship equipment only to the address you verified. A last-minute request to send it elsewhere is a reason to pause.
- For hourly roles, finish these steps before the first shift. A short in-person check is far easier than untangling a bad hire after payday.
Keep it fair
The FBI warns that aggressive controls can flag legitimate applicants, and that name filters can harm identity theft victims. Use the same steps for every finalist, write down what you checked, and weigh signals together.
FAQ
Can we ask a finalist to show ID on camera before an offer?
Keep the check simple: confirm the person matches the name, use the same step for every finalist, and do not ask about citizenship or immigration status. If you are unsure, ask an employment attorney.
Can we require a US passport for Form I-9?
No. USCIS says the employee chooses which documents to present from the Lists of Acceptable Documents, and you cannot specify which ones.
Where do we report a suspected fake candidate?
The FBI asks businesses to contact their local FBI field office and file a complaint at ic3.gov.
Where ReadyATS fits
ReadyATS keeps your checklist in one place, so nobody has to remember who still needs what.
Background checks from the candidate page. ReadyATS integrates with Checkr, so you can order a background check right from the candidate in ReadyATS, and the results post back to their profile before you decide on an offer.
An identity step before the background check. Through the same Checkr integration, you can add Checkr's Identity Verification check. The candidate takes a photo of a government ID and a live selfie on their phone. Checkr confirms a real person is present and compares the selfie to the ID photo, before the background check begins. It is Checkr's check, and it confirms identity only. It does not replace Form I-9.
A live interview on camera. Candidates pick a time your team has open, and the invite carries a Google Meet or Zoom link. Keep cameras on and ask your follow-ups, so the face you hire is the face you met on camera.
Same steps for every finalist. For hourly roles, finish them before the first shift.
Fast hiring and careful hiring can be the same process
Your CEO is right that speed matters. But speed only helps if the person who shows up is the person you hired. Decide on your checks once, write them into your hiring steps, and run them the same way every time. Then your team can move quickly without wondering who is on the other end of the call.
If it would help to see this flow with your own roles in mind, Angela is happy to walk you through it and answer your questions. Pick a time with Angela; it takes about 15 minutes.