NEW YORK – Three people accused of using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and lawyers in a scheme that allegedly stole about $129 million have been indicted on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, prosecutors said Thursday.
According to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in New York, Jacob Soall, 41, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Sheetrit, 42, targeted thousands of companies worldwide over more than 18 months.
The alleged victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a Rhode Island bank, a United Kingdom-based financial technology company, a Massachusetts mutual fund company and a Florida pet food company, court documents say.
The defendants, who are from Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, also face money laundering charges, according to the indictment.
Online court records still showed the case docket under seal Thursday evening, meaning details that typically identify defense attorneys were not publicly available. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to a voicemail left by The Associated Press.
The three defendants were arrested between June and September. Hazan was convicted in a New York court in 2008 of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The group, whose nicknames include “Rocky Balboa,” “Superman Cash” and “Fat Boy,” frequently targeted corporate accounting departments. Prosecutors say they sent emails posing as company CEOs and asked employees to assist with supposedly confidential financial transactions.
They then arranged phone or video calls during which they allegedly used AI to replicate a CEO’s voice and, in some cases, appearance, according to the indictment.
Employees were subsequently instructed to contact a lawyer at a major law firm—another identity the group was prepared to imitate, court documents say.
Soall primarily posed as lawyers from the United Kingdom. The U.S. attorney’s office said he kept a handwritten script titled “Lawyer Call,” which he used to appear authentic while speaking with and defrauding victims.
The fake attorney allegedly directed employees to wire large sums to bank accounts around the world. The money was then converted into cryptocurrency in an effort to obscure its origin before being distributed among the three defendants and other participants, according to court documents.
James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI’s assistant director in charge, said the case illustrates how advanced technology can enable fraud on a large scale.
“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,” he said in a statement.
If convicted, the defendants could face maximum sentences of 20 years on each charge, except for aggravated identity theft, which carries a two-year sentence, according to the attorney’s office.
