Two Israelis Among Three Charged in $129 Million AI Impersonation Fraud Scheme
U.S. prosecutors allege the network mimicked executives and lawyers to trick employees into wiring money. All three defendants were arrested abroad, with extradition requests pending.
Two Israelis are among three men charged in the United States over an alleged scheme that used AI-generated voices and images to impersonate company executives and lawyers and steal more than $129 million from businesses worldwide.
An indictment unsealed Thursday in Manhattan names Sharon Hazan, 54, of Israel; Guy Sheetrit, 42, of Israel and the United Arab Emirates; and Jacob Soall, 41, of Spain and the United Kingdom. The allegations cover conduct between 2024 and 2026.
Prosecutors say the conspirators approached employees who could authorize large payments, posing as their company's chief executive and asking for help with a confidential transaction. They allegedly used artificial intelligence to mimic an executive's voice or image during calls, then directed the employee to a supposed lawyer at a major international law firm. That lawyer was another impostor, according to prosecutors.
The employees were then instructed to wire money into bank accounts controlled by the alleged network. Prosecutors say victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a Rhode Island bank, a British financial technology company, a Massachusetts mutual fund company and a Florida pet food company.
The money moved through accounts in several countries before being converted into cryptocurrency to conceal its origin and divide the proceeds, prosecutors allege. Soall allegedly specialized in impersonating British lawyers, while Hazan and Sheetrit allegedly helped launder funds.
Soall was arrested in Spain in June, Hazan in Spain in August and Sheetrit in the United Kingdom in September. U.S. extradition requests for all three remain pending, the Justice Department said.
Each defendant faces seven counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering charges. Several counts carry maximum sentences of 20 years, but any sentence would be determined by a judge. The charges are allegations, and all three men are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.