Artificial intelligence is not only being exploited by scammers to advertise fake positions and deceive job-seekers, but it is also becoming increasingly common in responses and screening processes for legitimate roles, according to readers responding to an article by Victoria Turk about the surge in AI-driven recruitment fraud. Not only are qualified individuals missing out on opportunities, but businesses are also failing to secure the best candidates.
Human insight versus AI shortcuts
Sasha Cooklin, a prospect researcher who identifies potential donors for organisations, acknowledges the advantages AI can bring to her work but only uses it as a last resort. With two decades of experience, she can produce reports with insights that only a human can offer, which is precisely what her employers value. Having been made redundant last year, she has submitted nearly 200 applications and quickly noticed a pattern of automated responses, some of which were irrelevant to her application and even confusing or offensive. Most were not signed off by HR. In one extreme case, she received a rejection solely because the system claimed she had used AI to write her CV, which was not true. When she contacted HR, they apologised and admitted that they themselves had used AI to scan CVs and cover letters. Cooklin questions the careless use of AI that dashes the hopes of both people and companies, especially when families depend on employment.
Migrant workers particularly vulnerable
Darryl Dixon highlights that Victoria Turk's article serves as a timely warning about the expansion of online fraud and how AI makes scams harder to detect. Beyond false adverts targeting citizens, there is a growing trend of online fraud aimed at migrant workers seeking opportunities in the UK, which turn out to be for non-existent jobs. While the article advises checking Companies House to verify a company, Dixon points out a flaw: in his work for the International Organization for Migration, scammers have used the identities of UK companies, whether active or dissolved. Faced with such documents, applicants rarely verify the advert by contacting the actual company. Even if they try, it is difficult when the only contact is a registered office address with no website or other means of communication. Under pressure from fraudsters threatening that others may take the vacancy, workers often do not wait, assume the job is legitimate, and become victims of fraud.
Scams targeting authors
Niall Leonard, a minor self-published author, reports being inundated with similar scams where executives in publishing or TV arts shows profess to be fascinated by his unique storytelling. The named executives are real people and can be found via Google, but a key giveaway is that the praise often comes from a Gmail address rather than a company email. A related scam involves fanmail from established authors who claim to have found him on Facebook and are eager to learn about his writing process. He has received messages purportedly from Ian McEwan, Ken Follett, and Colleen Hoover gushing over his work. When Agatha Christie joined in, he became suspicious.
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