Three men charged with using AI to impersonate CEOs and steal millions

Three men in the US have been charged on suspicion of using AI to spoof the voices and images of company executives and lawyers. Prosecutors allege that they used the impersonations to persuade employees to transfer money to accounts controlled by accomplices, stealing more than $129 million from companies around the world. The alleged scheme operated from 2024 to 2026; two suspects were arrested in Spain and the third in the UK.

Three men accused of stealing $129 million by spoofing voices and faces

How the scheme worked

According to an indictment unsealed by the US Department of Justice, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Shitrit were arrested on suspicion of AI-enabled fraud. Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain in the summer, and Shitrit in the UK in September.

The men allegedly posed as company executives and asked employees to help carry out confidential financial transactions. They then asked employees to contact lawyers at a large international law firm, impersonated those lawyers and persuaded staff to transfer large sums.

Among the alleged victims were:

The money was transferred to bank accounts in several countries: the US, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia and China. After the transfers, the defendants allegedly converted the funds into cryptocurrency to hide their origin, ownership and control, according to the US Department of Justice, and then divided the money among themselves and their accomplices.

Soall and Hazan allegedly used several aliases. Soall used the names “Seba Clark” and “Rocky Balboa,” while Hazan used “Superman Cash,” “Fat Man” and “Ron.”

Charges

US Attorney Jamie McDonald said AI has significant potential, but the public should be aware that the technology can also be used for criminal purposes.

FBI Assistant Director James K. Barnacle Jr. described the alleged scheme as an example of how advanced technology can be used for large-scale fraud. He said the FBI intends to adapt its capabilities to detect, investigate and stop crimes targeting New York residents and businesses operating in the city.

The men have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, multiple counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

Dataist's take: The case shows how voice and image spoofing can become part of a scheme built around trust in executives and familiar workplace procedures. The charges describe alleged conduct; the defendants’ guilt has not been established in court.