Three individuals have been charged in the United States over an alleged artificial intelligence-powered fraud scheme that reportedly stole more than $129 million from companies across the world by impersonating chief executives and lawyers.
According to an indictment filed in a US federal court in New York, the suspects, identified as Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit, allegedly carried out the scheme between July 2024 and February 2026, targeting thousands of companies through sophisticated impersonation tactics.
The suspects reportedly used artificial intelligence to replicate the voices and, in some cases, images of company executives during phone and video calls.
They initially contacted employees, particularly those in accounting departments, through emails posing as messages from their chief executives and requesting assistance with confidential financial transactions.
After gaining employees’ trust, the suspects allegedly introduced fake lawyers from major international law firms to make the transactions appear legitimate.
The impersonated lawyers then instructed employees to transfer large sums of money into bank accounts controlled by members of the alleged fraud network.
The proceeds were subsequently converted into cryptocurrency to conceal their origins.
Among the reported victims were hospital systems in Missouri and California, a Rhode Island-based bank, a United Kingdom financial technology company, a Massachusetts mutual fund firm and a Florida-based pet food company.
The three suspects face charges including wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, they could face lengthy prison sentences, with some charges carrying maximum penalties of up to 20 years.
Sources: Associated Press, ABC News and The Guardian.
