Three men charged in $130 million AI impersonation scheme
Three foreign nationals are accused of using artificial intelligence to pose as corporate executives and lawyers in a fraud scheme that allegedly took in over $129 million. (Image from Shutterstock)
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have unsealed an indictment accusing three foreign nationals of using artificial intelligence to pose as corporate executives and lawyers in a fraud scheme that allegedly took in over $129 million, according a story published Friday in The Guardian.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit manipulated voices and images to deceive employees at companies around the world between 2024 and 2026. Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain this summer, and Sheetrit was taken into custody in the United Kingdom in September.
According to prosecutors, the scheme worked in two stages. First, the defendants allegedly posed as a company executive and told employees they needed help with a confidential financial matter. Employees were then directed to contact attorneys at a major international law firm, whom the defendants also allegedly impersonated, and to wire large sums as instructed.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants stole nearly $5 million from a Missouri hospital system, about $2.7 million from a Rhode Island bank, roughly $3 million from a California hospital system, more than $4.6 million from a Massachusetts mutual fund, about $5 million from a Florida pet food company, and over $11 million from a U.K. technology company. The defendants have been indicted on charges relating to wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and identity theft.
Funds were allegedly routed to accounts in countries including the U.S., Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia and China, then converted to cryptocurrency to hide their origin and split among conspirators. Prosecutors say Soall and Hazan used several aliases, including “Rocky Balboa,” “Superman Cash” and “Ron.”
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in a statement that while AI holds great promise, it can also be turned to criminal ends.
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