A recent report has shed light on a growing problem in hiring: identity fraud and inaccurate candidate information. The 2025 Global Benchmark Report from HireRight reveals that one in six companies around the world has faced cases where someone used fake or stolen personal details to land a job. This kind of fraud poses a serious challenge for employers trying to find trustworthy employees.
The report shows that the Asia-Pacific region sees the highest rate of identity fraud during hiring, with 20% of employers encountering it. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa follow close behind at 19%, and North America comes in at 15%. Identity fraud occurs when applicants present false or stolen identities to secure employment, making it tough for businesses to screen people properly.
In addition to identity fraud, many companies face discrepancies in candidate information. Almost 40% of employers found at least one inconsistency per person they screened, and 13% spotted an issue in one out of five candidates. The most common problem differs by region. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as Asia-Pacific, the frequent issue is employment verification—where job histories don’t check out. In North America, the biggest concern is undisclosed criminal records, followed by employment verification problems.
Despite the risks, the report found that only about 60% of employers include identity checks as part of their hiring process. Some rely on external background screening services, while others have trained staff perform the checks internally. However, the approach to training varies. In Asia-Pacific and EMEA, training often happens annually or periodically. In North America, it’s usually one-off sessions. This means newer fraud tactics might slip through unnoticed.
Post-hire monitoring is also lacking. More than a third of employers in North America (38%), EMEA (37%), and Asia-Pacific (25%) do not routinely screen or monitor employees after they’ve been hired, leaving gaps in ongoing protection.
Euan Menzies, HireRight’s president and CEO, warned that ignoring these issues could lead to serious problems. He pointed out that companies that don’t improve their identity checks or miss repeated discrepancies risk facing costly penalties and damage to their reputations.
This report is a clear call for employers to beef up their screening processes. With identity fraud and false information on the rise, taking stronger steps to verify who they hire is more important than ever.