Three Indicted Over $129 Million AI Impersonation Fraud
At a Glance
Three people have been indicted in New York for using AI to impersonate executives and lawyers.
The scheme targeted thousands of companies worldwide over more than a year and a half.
The defendants face charges including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors said Thursday that three people accused of using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys have been indicted for stealing about $129 million.
Key Statements and Focus Area
FBI on Emerging Technology: "As criminals continue to weaponize emerging technologies, the FBI remains committed to rapidly adapting our capabilities to identify, investigate, and disrupt those who seek to harm New Yorkers and businesses operating in our communities." — James C. Barnacle Jr., FBI Assistant Director in Charge.
Focus Area: The indictment of Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit over an AI-driven impersonation scheme targeting companies worldwide.
The defendants, from Spain, the UK, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, were charged in a US District Court in New York with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
Victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a Rhode Island bank, a UK fintech company, a Massachusetts mutual fund company, and a Florida pet food company.
The trio often targeted accounting departments, sending an email that appeared to come from the CEO and asking for help with a confidential transaction.
They then arranged a phone or video call in which AI mimicked the CEO's voice and sometimes image and directed staff to an attorney at a major law firm, whom the group was also ready to impersonate.
Soall mainly posed as UK attorneys and used a handwritten script titled "Lawyer Call."
The fake attorney told employees to wire large payments to accounts around the world, and the money was converted to cryptocurrency to hide its origin before being split among the group and others.
The three were arrested between June and September. Lawyers for Soall and Sheetrit did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it was unclear whether Hazan had an attorney.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, except aggravated identity theft, which carries two.
FYI
Hazan was convicted in a New York court in 2008 of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The defendants used nicknames, including "Rocky Balboa," "Superman Cash," and "Fat Boy."
Impersonation scams aimed at company finance teams, often called business email compromise, have grown more convincing as AI voice and video tools have become more accessible.
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