How fake remote workers, AI resumes, and deepfake interviews put SMBs at risk
The New Hiring Scam Most small businesses still think about cyber risk the old way. A phishing email. A ransomware attack. A fake invoice. A spoofed login page. A suspicious attachment someone should not have opened. Those risks are still real. But in 2026, there is another entry point that feels much less like a cyberattack and much more like ordinary business. Hiring. Remote hiring, contract hiring, fast hiring, project-based hiring, and globally distributed hiring have all made it easier for small businesses to find talent. They have also made it easier for attackers, fraudsters, and hostile actors to hide inside normal recruiting workflows. This is no longer theoretical. On June 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced coordinated nationwide actions against North Korean remote IT worker schemes. According to the Justice Department, fake and stolen identities were used to obtain employment with more than 100 U.S. companies . The same action involved seizures of...