Part 2: Um, I think my research participant is a FRAUD

Continuing my post from a few weeks ago with a few more memorable stories from interviews that quickly ended due to the participant not quite being the expert that they claimed…

💻The advertiser who could only talk about value prop: During his self-introduction, an advertiser told me about “my very important clients, but I’m not allowed to say who because I’m under NDA”. Odd, because I was asking about his role as a marketer in his organization. I gave him a pass; as researchers, we know that participants can be nervous at the start of interviews. He then spent the interview reciting the product’s value prop statements from a few printed pages he nervously shuffled around. This was before AI as we know it today.
✔️ Lesson: value prop statements do not replace real product experience, fake advertiser.

💻The IT purchaser who couldn’t hide behind the AI: Upon signing into the moderation platform, he was inordinately fussy because he missed the checkbox option to blur his background. Nothing unusual behind him, just a wall with a bookcase and a few sports team banners (unclear which teams, definitely not the Seahawks or the Mariners). But the focus on blurring the background seemed odd (his appearance matched his LinkedIn pic, so I don't think it was a case of image generation). After introductions, it quickly became obvious that he wasn’t really an expert in purchasing the IT equipment and services that I was asking about. His answers were AI generated, never moved beyond a very genericized answer set and in the end, he was simply reading from a list.
✔️ Lesson: Don’t be weird from the get go, fake IT purchaser.

I’ve found that fraudulent candidates split into two categories. First, there are the complete fakes, likely probably part of the not so mythical groups that teach people to fake their way into studies. And second, those who are who they say they are, but assume responsibility for decisions and activities that they only peripherally bump against in their day to day lives. Are these narcissists? Do they think that they are too smart to get caught? Do they enjoy trying to game the system? It’s all fascinating, right?

What similar stories do you have? What steps are you taking to spot fraud even before the interview starts? DM me or book a time slot here: https://lnkd.in/gyB4nyMu