What is the problem?
Scammers and/or bots are using AI to pretend to be real applicants with the best possible cover letter and CV. Once hired, the scammer can, for example, steal sensitive information or insert malware into the systems. This is unlikely to lead to serious risks for Radboud University. Most of our vacancies include at least one live interview, and an ID check is always part of the hiring procedure. The risks are much greater for companies where jobs are performed entirely digitally.
However, it is good to be aware that these fake job applications are becoming increasingly common and that, as a vacancy holder, you may encounter them. As a vacancy holder, you run into problems as soon as the applicant is invited for an interview, because it turns out they are not a real applicant. And since AI creates almost perfect profiles, several vacancy holders have already approved such fake applicants for an interview.
How to recognise a fake job application
- Is the profile too good to be true? If so, this may point to a fake application. Applicants claim to have completed the most suitable study programmes, always within the nominal time period, and to have worked for some very well-known employers. If the applicant's work experience and education are perfect, check that other parts of the CV and letter come across as natural and logical.
- These are not existing people, so there are no referees you can call. This makes it harder to check the authenticity of the application, but the lack of referee contact details on a CV may also indicate that you are dealing with a fake applicant.
- Fake applicants can be recognised by the personal details on their CV. We see examples of 11-digit mobile telephone numbers and mail addresses such as musicfan33 [at] gmail.com and applying.for.a.job [at] gmail.com. Residential addresses are also used with an existing Nijmegen street, but in combination with a house number that cannot be found in the street in question. The fake applicants we saw did not upload a photograph on their CVs, although with AI this can also be easily added in the future.
- Has the fake applicant passed the letter selection, and are they now pushing for a digital interview instead of an interview on campus? Thanks to deepfakes, an applicant can appear real while in fact being an AI bot. Make sure you include at least one live interview in the selection procedure. If this not possible because of the long (possibly international) travel distance, make sure you always use a video connection via Teams and check that the person's movements seem natural. It is easier to see whether someone really exists on video than through sound alone.
- Unnatural answers via phone and/or email. AI is very good, but it is not perfect, and strange answers may point to a fake application.
How to handle these situations
If you think you may be dealing with a fake job application, you can always ask Recruitment to have a look. If it is obvious, you may of course reject this application immediately.