Three Indicted in $129 Million AI Impersonation Scheme

Jacob Soall, 41, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Sheetrit, 42, face charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, according to an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors allege that the scheme operated for more than 18 months and targeted thousands of companies.

The group allegedly targeted accounting departments with emails that appeared to come from company CEOs. The messages requested help with confidential financial transactions. The defendants then arranged phone or video calls that used AI-generated voices and, in some cases, images to imitate the executives.

Employees were directed to contact attorneys at major law firms, whom the group allegedly impersonated. The fake attorneys instructed victims to wire large sums to bank accounts in various countries. The money was later converted into cryptocurrency to conceal its source and distributed among the defendants and other participants.

Soall allegedly impersonated attorneys from the United Kingdom. Prosecutors said he used a handwritten script titled “Lawyer Call” during conversations with victims.

The alleged victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a bank in Rhode Island, a financial technology company in the United Kingdom, a mutual fund company in Massachusetts and a pet food company in Florida. Court documents identify the defendants as being from Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

The three defendants were arrested between June and September. The online court docket remained sealed as of Thursday, and information about their defense attorneys was not publicly available. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“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., the FBI’s assistant director in charge, said in a statement.

Each wire fraud and money-laundering charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory additional sentence of two years, according to prosecutors. The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Hazan was convicted in a New York court in 2008 of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Court documents list nicknames used by the defendants, including “Rocky Balboa,” “Superman Cash” and “Fat Boy.”