Ghost Addresses and Fake IDs: The Hidden Risks in India’s Gig Economy Hiring

As India’s gig economy continues its rapid expansion, a new report from identity management leader AuthBridge reveals a growing structural challenge: verification frameworks are struggling to keep pace with the scale of on-demand hiring.

The “Workforce Fraud Files 2026,” based on data from April to September 2025, highlights that 6% of gig worker profiles contain at least one major discrepancy, posing significant risks to platform safety and reliability.

The Address Verification Crisis

The most alarming trend identified in the report is the failure of basic physical traceability.

Nearly 9.7% of gig worker cases flagged address discrepancies—meaning roughly 1 in 10 workers provided untraceable locations.

In many instances, candidates became unresponsive during the verification process or listed employer addresses that were found to be non-existent.

For a sector built on doorstep delivery and home services, these “ghost” locations raise critical questions about accountability.

Gig Workers Identity Fraud and Criminal Records

Beyond physical addresses, the report underscores vulnerabilities in digital and legal screening:

• Identity (NID) Failures: Approximately 2.5% of cases failed identity verification. These failures were largely attributed to fraudulent or misused identification documents that did not match official government databases.
• Legal Red Flags: Tighter legal screening found that 2.2% of profiles flagged issues in court record checks. These included serious cases related to theft and assault—data points that are non-negotiable for customer-facing roles where trust is the primary currency.

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Speed vs. Trust: The Structural Challenge

The report suggests these are not isolated incidents but a systemic issue caused by compressed hiring cycles.

Ajay Trehan, Founder and CEO of AuthBridge, emphasized that in the race to onboard thousands of workers daily, speed cannot come at the cost of trust.

He noted that background verification must shift from being a mere onboarding formality. It must become a “critical control point” for long-term platform credibility.

As logistics, delivery, and on-demand services become central to Indian urban life, these findings serve as a wake-up call for platforms.

They must adopt AI-powered, technology-led verification systems that operate at scale without compromising consumer safety.

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