FBI issues warning about 'deepfakes' being used to secure jobs

WASHINGTON (TND) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now issuing a warning about the dark side of deepfake videos, telling job recruiters to watch out for fake applicants as people are reportedly using those false videos to apply for remote work.

According to officials, in some cases, these crooks may steal a person's identity or personal information to apply for a job, then grab a picture of that person, manipulate the video and sound and impersonate that person during a remote job interview.

The FBI is saying this is happening more often.

You no longer need to hack the company,” said cybersecurity and data privacy lawyer Erez Liebermann. “You are being offered a way in by faking your way in.”

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center says it’s seeing an increase in reports of deepfake videos and stolen personal identification information to apply for remote work.

“Applicants are able to use this they can get hired pretending to be someone else and all of a sudden, you have an insider who's been given access to data within a company and that person can just steal that data,” Liebermann said.

Deepfakes include a video, an image or recording altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone saying or doing something they didn't say or do.

Back in 2018, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., warned that these videos could disrupt elections.

“The vast majority of people watching that image on television are going to believe it and if that happens two days before an election or the night before an election it can influence the outcome of your race,” Rubio said.

Experts say one way to spot a deepfake video is when the lips and words do not sync up.

It's also good always to do a background check and confirm maybe that email addresses match up with what you know about this individual or contact information matches up,” Liebermann said.

The FBI is warning that these fake job applicants are targeting jobs in IT computer programing and related fields.