--- title: "The FBI Says Scammers Are Using Deepfakes to Apply to Remote Jobs" description: "The FBI is warning that deepfakes — coupled with stolen Personal Identifiable Information (PII) — are increasingly being used to apply for WFH positions." date: "2022-06-29" modified: "2022-06-29" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/fbi-people-using-deepfakes-to-apply-jobs" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "ai" - "deepfake" - "FBI" - "the digest" --- # The FBI Says Scammers Are Using Deepfakes to Apply to Remote Jobs ![The FBI is warning that deepfakes — coupled with stolen Personal Identifiable Information (PII) — are increasingly being used to apply for WFH positions.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Beware, Recruiters! People aren't just using impressive deepfakes to [troll Robert Pattinson](), create endearing videos of a [lookalike Margot Robbie](), or to sing onstage as [famed pessimist Simon Cowell](). Yesterday, the FBI issued an [ominous warning](), spotted [by *Gizmodo*](), that deepfakes — coupled with stolen personal information — are increasingly being used to apply for a variety of work from home jobs. Needless to say, this is some next-level identity theft. Thus far, the FBI is saying that reported incidents have mostly been in IT, computer science, and data-related fields. In some ominous cases, the positions applied for were roles with direct access to private intel about customers PII, financial information, and corporate IT databases — which doesn't exactly feel coincidental. ## Deepfake It Of course, there are reasons beyond plain ol' data theft that might lead someone to try and land a job by way of uber-convincing AI technology. As [*TechCrunch* points out](), it could be a way for a non-US citizen to get paid in dollars, or more nefariously could be a means for a rival country [to glean useful intelligence](). Luckily, if you're in the process of interviewing potential work from home employees, there are some tells to watch out for. According to the FBI, voice-spoofing mechanizations used by the imposters are usually a little off — the audio sometimes didn't sync quite right with the interviewee's lips, and at times, inadvertent sneezes or coughs weren't reflected in the visual. While deepfake tech has made some serious advancements in recent years, tricking someone during a live interview process is still an enormously tall order. Still, it's for exactly that reason — how far [deepfakes have come](), and where they might be able to go — that employers in affected fields should be wary. **READ MORE:** [*FBI Says People Are Using Deepfakes to Apply to Remote Jobs*]() \[*Gizmodo*\] **More on deepfakes:** [*New App Makes You Sound like Morgan Freeman in Real Time*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()