● Covered by 3 sources · 3 reportsHigh impact1 negative2 neutral
Three Charged in $129 Million AI Impersonation Scheme Targeting Global Companies
Key points
- Three individuals indicted for wire fraud and identity theft.
- Used AI to impersonate CEOs and attorneys.
- Stole approximately $129 million from global companies.
- Funds converted to cryptocurrency to conceal origin.
- Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit were indicted.
- Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain, Sheetrit in the U.K.
- The alleged fraud took place between 2024 and 2026.
- Hazan is 54, Sheetrit is 42, and Soall is 41.
- Hazan and Sheetrit are from Israel, Soall is Spanish.
- The men face up to 104 years in prison.
- They stole nearly $5 million from a Missouri hospital.
- They stole $2.6 million from a Rhode Island bank.
- They stole $2.9 million from a California hospital.
Indictment Details AI Impersonation Scheme
Prosecutors announced charges against Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment, filed in a U.S. District Court in New York, alleges the trio used artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys, resulting in the theft of about $129 million.
Over an 18-month period, the defendants targeted thousands of companies globally. Victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a Rhode Island bank, a UK financial technology company, a Massachusetts mutual fund company, and a Florida pet food company.
Method of Operation
The scheme involved sending emails purporting to be from a company's CEO, requesting assistance with a confidential financial transaction. This was followed by phone or video calls where the defendants used AI to mimic the voice and sometimes the image of the CEO.
Employees were then directed to contact an attorney, also impersonated by the group, who would instruct them to wire large payments to international bank accounts. Soall reportedly used a "handwritten script titled 'Lawyer Call'" to appear as a legitimate attorney.
Money Laundering and Arrests
After the funds were wired, they were converted into cryptocurrency to obscure their origin before being distributed among the defendants and others involved. The defendants, from Spain, the UK, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, also face charges of money laundering.
The three individuals were arrested between June and September. One defendant, Sharon Hazan, was previously convicted in 2008 for conspiracy to commit bank fraud in New York.
Updates
- Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit were indicted.
- Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain, Sheetrit in the U.K.
- The alleged fraud took place between 2024 and 2026.
- Hazan is 54, Sheetrit is 42, and Soall is 41.
- Hazan and Sheetrit are from Israel, Soall is Spanish.
- The men face up to 104 years in prison.
- They stole nearly $5 million from a Missouri hospital.
- They stole $2.6 million from a Rhode Island bank.
- They stole $2.9 million from a California hospital.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Three foreign nationals, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit, have been charged in the US for allegedly using AI to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys, stealing over $129 million from companies globally. The scheme involved tricking employees into wiring large sums of money for sensitive financial transactions, which were then converted to cryptocurrency to conceal their origin. This case highlights the use of AI in sophisticated financial fraud and the challenges in tracing illicit funds across international borders.
The Justice Department indicted three individuals, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit, for allegedly defrauding companies of approximately $129 million by impersonating CEOs and lawyers using AI. The accused used AI to spoof voices and images of executives and legal counsel to trick employees into transferring large sums to their controlled accounts, highlighting a significant use of AI in financial fraud.
Three individuals have been indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for using AI to impersonate CEOs and attorneys, stealing approximately $129 million from companies worldwide. The defendants mimicked voices and images of executives to trick accounting departments into wiring large sums, which were then converted to cryptocurrency.