8 Tactics Candidates Are Using to Cheat in Interviews

We’re rounding into the final quarter of 2024, and many candidates are jobless or unhappy with their current employment. With fewer roles on the market, desperate candidates are resorting to new methods of cheating in interviews to win out. Here at Apriora, we’ve spoken with hundreds of staffing orgs and corporate in-house recruiting teams to get a clear understanding of what tools and tactics candidates are using today to cheat in interviews.

Let’s dive into eight clever ways candidates might cheat in interviews this year, and how you can catch them.

1. AI-Generated Answers

Ok, duh. This is the most common method candidates are turning to today. But it can be tricky to spot. Candidates use AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and the like to craft intelligent responses for them in real time. With access to the internet during remote interviews, they might just be feeding your questions into an AI and getting polished answers on the spot.

How to catch it

If the answers seem too polished or impersonal, dig deeper with follow-up questions that require personal reflection. AI struggles with experience-based questions i.e. “Tell me a time when…”

Also, listen for excessive clicking or typing on the keyboard that suggests they are trying to copy and paste your question into GPT. Also, be aware of candidates who look back and forth to a different monitor, they may be looking at another window for answers.

“I was interviewing a candidate from Yale and each time I asked a question the candidate would say ‘Interesting… give me a sec... I'm just taking some notes. I would hear the candidate typing and then pause, and then the candidate would proceed to rehearse the answer ChatGPT gave them. The entire interview was a waste of time."
‍Recruiter, Leading Electric Vehicle Brand

2. Voice Modulation Software

‍Candidates might use voice modulation software to sound more confident or to mask accents during phone and video interviews.

How to catch it

Listen for any strange consistency in their voice (see example below). Ask them to speak in a different tone or pitch.

Here’s an example of a female who modulated her voice with software to sound like a male.

Aileen without modulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OZlB08q8Lw

Aileen with modulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqRIvd9d5s&t=2s

3. Hire someone to take the interview

‍Incredibly, some candidates might hire someone else to take their video interview for them, especially if there’s no video verification. Some candidates are purchasing interviews from international firms that promise to pass screening calls for them and then hand them off when the final rounds of interviews come around.

"We recently submitted a candidate who passed both of our screening rounds and unfortunately a different candidate showed up under the same name for the client call that was not qualified for the role. The client was not very happy."
CEO/Co-founder, IT Staffing Firm

How to catch it

This one is tricky. Typically if you have other measures to detect cheating in place you will filter out a hired interviewer because they often don't have the qualifications themself and have to rely on cheating methods themself to pass your screens. You can also visually cross-reference a live recording of the interview with the candidate's LinkedIn profile photo.

4. Manipulating Online Test Results

Pre-interview assessments can be manipulated. Candidates might use browser extensions to find answers or even get help from someone else. Popular tools like HackerRank and Codility (screening tools for software roles) can be gamed easily.

How to catch it

‍Use proctoring software during online assessments and ask similar questions during a live interview to confirm their knowledge.

5. Deepfakes

Deep fakes aren’t just for celebs. As unsettling as it sounds, deepfake technology allows candidates to fake their appearance or attend an interview they’re not ready for. A staffing firm we spoke with recently mentioned that they got on a call with a candidate who had deep fake lips overlayed on their face and was speaking English for them.

How to catch it

Watch the lips. If the candidate's lips are moving in an unnatural pattern it's a dead giveaway. Look for strange lip-syncing or video glitches. Use multi-step authentication to confirm their identity.

6. Fabricated Experience

It’s easier than ever to fake work experience with phony online profiles or fabricated recommendations.

How to catch it

‍Do thorough background checks and contact listed companies directly. Use LinkedIn to cross-check their employment history.

7. Using Zoom Plugins for Real-Time Help

‍Candidates might use Zoom plugins that transcribe the interviewer's questions and suggest answers in real time, giving them an edge during the interview.

Tools such as Final Round are difficult to sniff out mid-interview because of they’re fast and scripts sound natural. Candidates you might have rejected because of knowledge gaps or poor communication can now appear intelligent and eloquent with tools like Final Round.

Check out this 30 clip on YouTube to see how Final Round works:
‍https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z70wad0DiFg

Another tool called Interview Buddy by AiApply:  
‍https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gVYByabDYY

How to catch it

‍Keep an eye out for delayed responses or if the candidate seems to be reading instead of speaking naturally. Ask follow-up questions to break their rhythm.

*Tools like Final Round can be especially difficult to catch. More about how Alex, our AI recruiter catches them at the bottom.‍

8. Professional Coaching During Interviews

Some candidates might hire a professional coach who listens in and guides them through the interview via a hidden earpiece.

How to catch it

Watch for delays in responses. Ask technical questions or request problem-solving in real time to minimize external help.

Alex, our AI Recruiter Catches Cheating

The main takeaway is that with the advent of new technologies like AI, cheating on interviews is ubiquitous and harder than ever to catch. To combat this, companies are using an autonomous interviewer named Alex to live-screen candidates.

At Apriora, we created Alex to conduct custom interviews on a live video call, spotting and flagging candidate cheating in real time. Schedule a time here to see how Alex can help you make smarter hiring decisions.