How to stop cheating in video interviews and online calls
Updated October 27, 2026
The most reliable way to keep outside help out of an online interview is to check each guest before the call and keep checking during it, on the guest's own computer. Look for hidden AI answer tools, swapped faces and camera software, and confirm that the person on camera is the person who joined.
Watching closely helps, but it misses most of today's tools. This guide covers the five common ways people get outside help on a video call, what you can check by hand, what to check and when, and how to set this up in Google Meet.
Five ways people get outside help on a video call
1. Hidden AI answer tools
An app listens to the questions and shows suggested answers on the guest's screen. Many of these windows are built to stay hidden from screen sharing, so you see a normal desktop. What it can look like: short pauses before each answer, eyes reading at one spot, and polished answers that fall apart on follow up questions.
2. Deepfakes and face swaps
Software replaces the guest's face with someone else's face in real time. What it can look like: edges that blur when the head turns, a face that slips when a hand passes in front of it, or lighting on the face that does not match the room.
3. AI avatars
A generated person speaks and moves in place of a real one. What it can look like: very even blinking, small repeated movements and a voice that does not quite fit the mouth.
4. Camera software feeding another video
A virtual camera app sends the call a recording, a filtered stream or another person's video instead of the real webcam. What it can look like: almost nothing. The call simply receives whatever that app sends.
5. Someone else answering
A different person sits the interview, or a helper off camera feeds answers by voice or text. What it can look like: a face that does not match earlier calls or photos, a voice that changes between calls, or glances away before each answer.
What interviewers can do by hand
- Ask the guest to turn their head slowly or pass a hand in front of their face.
- Ask follow up questions that build on the guest's own earlier answers.
- Ask the guest to share their full screen, not one window.
- Compare the face and voice with earlier rounds of the process.
These checks are worth doing, but they do not hold up alone. Hidden windows do not appear in a shared screen. Camera software looks like a normal webcam to the call. Face swaps keep getting better at head turns. And every check by hand pulls the interviewer's attention away from the conversation, and different interviewers check in different ways.
What to check, and when
Before the call
- That no window is hidden from screen sharing, and no known AI interview helper is running.
- That the call video comes from a real webcam, not camera software.
- A short reading step, so the voice can be compared later.
During the call
- That the face in the call matches the face on the person's own camera.
- That the voice in the call matches the voice from the reading step.
- That no new hidden helper starts after the call begins.
A check before the call alone is not enough, because tools can start later. A check during the call alone starts too late to catch what was set up beforehand. You need both.
How to do this in Google Meet with Verified Call
- Add the Verified extension to Chrome.
- Create a Google Calendar event with Google Meet and add your guests. Each guest gets a link to a short check.
- The link opens 10 minutes before the call. The guest agrees on a consent screen and runs the Verified app on a Mac with Apple silicon or a Windows PC. It takes about five minutes.
- Join the call as usual. Verified Call never joins the call, and there is no bot.
- Look for the badge next to each person in Meet. Click it to see the proof behind every result, for example "Same voice".
- If something needs a look, ask the guest about it. Results are advice for you, not a verdict.
The app keeps checking during the call. It finds windows hidden from screen sharing and names known AI interview helpers, tells a real webcam from camera software, compares the face in the call with the face on the person's own camera, and compares the voice on the candidate’s microphone with the voice from the reading step.
Tested results, with details on the Research page:
- Each of 4 hidden AI tools found in 30 of 30 tries, with 0 of 30 false alarms (October 4, 2026).
- 29 of 29 tries on every way of sending video we tested: 9 kinds of camera software and 7 direct cameras (September 30, 2026), and 20 of 20 live Google Meet calls read right (October 2, 2026).
- On recordings of 70 people, 0 of 3,990 sessions with someone else's face got through, and 962 of 970 sessions with the real person were cleared, 99.2% (October 1, 2026).
The same checks help beyond hiring, for client and sales calls and for remote onboarding.
Comparison by approach
| Check | Verified Call | A bot that joins the call | Checking the video only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sees AI tools hidden from screen sharing | Yes, on the guest's computer | No | No |
| Tells a real webcam from camera software | Yes, on the guest's computer | No | No |
| Compares the call with the guest's own camera | Yes | No | No |
| Adds a participant to your call | No | Yes | Depends |
| Checks before the call starts | Yes | Not usually | Not usually |
Questions people ask
How do I know if a candidate is using AI during a video interview?
Watching the person is not enough, because the best tools are hidden from screen sharing and leave no clear sign on camera. A check on the guest's own computer can find windows hidden from screen sharing and name known AI interview helpers.
Can Google Meet detect cheating on its own?
Google Meet shows you the video and audio it receives. It does not check what else is running on the guest's computer or whether the video comes from a real webcam. Verified Call adds those checks and shows a badge next to each person in Meet.
Does Verified Call join the meeting?
No. Verified Call never joins the call and adds no bot. The checks run in the Verified app on the guest's computer, and the results appear in the host's own Google Meet tab.
What does the guest need to do?
The guest opens their link, which opens 10 minutes before the call, agrees on a consent screen and runs the Verified app on a Mac with Apple silicon or a Windows PC. It takes about five minutes, and the app keeps checking during the call.
Is the result a verdict on the person?
No. Results are advice for the host, not a verdict. Every result shows the proof behind it, so you can ask the guest about anything that needs a look and decide for yourself.
Does it work with Zoom or Microsoft Teams?
Verified Call works with Google Meet in Chrome today. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are coming soon.
See it on a real call
Verified Call works with Google Meet in Chrome today. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are coming soon. Book a short demo and we will show you the checks on a live call.