Three men charged with using AI to impersonate CEOs and steal $129m
US prosecutors allege Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit used AI voice and image cloning to pose as executives and lawyers, defrauding companies worldwide of more than $129 million.
At a glance
- Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit were arrested in Spain and the UK for using AI to impersonate CEOs and attorneys.
- The group allegedly stole more than $129 million from companies in the US, UK and elsewhere between 2024 and 2026.
- Proceeds were converted to cryptocurrency and the men face wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft charges.
Three foreign nationals have been arrested and charged in the United States for allegedly using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate chief executives and attorneys, stealing more than $129 million from businesses around the world. The indictment, unsealed by the Department of Justice, names Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit as the defendants.
Soall and Hazan were taken into custody in Spain over the summer, while Sheetrit was arrested in the United Kingdom in September. The alleged scheme ran from 2024 through 2026. According to prosecutors, the men employed AI tools to alter and replicate the voices and images of real executives and lawyers. They then contacted employees at target companies, claiming to need assistance with sensitive financial transactions, and directed them to communicate with purported lawyers at a large international law firm. The defendants would then impersonate those lawyers and instruct the employees to wire large sums.
Victims included a hospital system in Missouri ($5 million), a bank in Rhode Island ($2.7 million), a hospital system in California ($3 million), a mutual fund in Massachusetts ($4.6 million), a pet food company in Florida ($5 million) and a technology company in the United Kingdom ($11 million). Funds were sent to bank accounts in the United States, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia and China before being converted into cryptocurrency to obscure the trail.
Soall used aliases such as "Seba Clarke" and "Rocky Balboa," while Hazan went by "Superman Cash," "Fat Boy" and "Ron." The three face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money‑laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. In a statement, US Attorney Jamie McDonald warned that while AI holds great promise, it can also be weaponised for criminal ends. FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. said the case shows how advanced technology can be exploited for large‑scale fraud and pledged continued adaptation to such threats.
Source: The Guardian Technology.
Questions and answers
- How did the suspects use AI to commit fraud?
- They used AI to clone the voices and images of corporate executives and lawyers, then instructed employees to wire money to accounts worldwide.
- How much money was stolen and from which companies?
- Over $129 million was taken from victims including a Missouri hospital system, a Rhode Island bank, a California hospital system, a Massachusetts mutual fund, a Florida pet food company and a UK tech firm.
- What charges do the men face?
- They are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money‑laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
