AI-conducted video interview "selects" you for a job, then demands registration fee and laptop deposit
An AI-generated or deepfake HR conducts a convincing video interview and 'selects' you. Then fees arrive: registration (₹1,500–₹5,000), training, laptop security deposit. The company, HR, and offer letter are all fake.
Also known as: fake AI interview scam, deepfake HR interview fraud, fake job interview advance fee, AI HR bot job scam India
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Never pay any fee at any stage of a private-sector recruitment process — registration, training, laptop deposit, ID card, background check. All are scam signals
- 2 Verify the recruiter by calling the company's publicly listed HR number directly — do not use the number the recruiter gave you
- 3 Cross-check the sender email domain carefully: real Infosys uses '@infosys.com', real TCS uses '@tcs.com' — any variation is fake
- 4 If you already paid, block further contact, preserve screenshots of the offer letter, payment receipts, and the recruiter's number
- 5 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ Contacted via WhatsApp or Telegram — not through the company's official career portal or professional email domain
- ⚠ Interview arranged within 24 hours of first contact; selection announced the same day or next day — legitimate hiring takes weeks
- ⚠ Any fee demanded after selection: registration, training, laptop deposit, GST, gate-pass, or ID card — legitimate companies never charge candidates
- ⚠ Offer letter arrives by email from a slightly wrong domain (e.g. 'infosys-hr@gmail.com' or 'infosys-careers.net' instead of '@infosys.com')
- ⚠ The interviewer's face has subtle anomalies on video: stiff blinking, slight lip-sync lag, pixelation around the hairline — signs of a deepfake avatar
Known variants
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AI biometric harvest variant (2026): fake interview platform requires live face scan and Aadhaar/PAN document upload for 'identity verification' during the interview — victim's biometric data is harvested for identity theft or deepfake creation, not just money extraction. MHA warned about this attack vector.
Last seen: 7/1/2026
Sources
- Amar Ujala / NCIB — Fake AI Interview Alert: Registration, Training Fee and Laptop Deposit Fraud (July 1, 2026)
- New Kerala — AI Biometric Scams: Fake Job Interviews Steal Your Identity (2026)
- The420.in — Dream Job or Digital Trap: How AI Is Fueling Employment Frauds in India
- Withsherlock.ai — Rise of AI Interview Fraud in 2026: Deepfakes, Proxy Hiring & How to Protect Your Company
- JobsBob.com — Job Scams in India: How to Spot, Avoid & Recover From Them (2026)