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

Three foreign nationals were arrested and charged with using AI to allegedly impersonate corporate CEOs and attorneys to steal over $100m, according to an indictment that was newly unsealed by the US Department of Justice. According to a press release from the United States attorney’s office for the southern district of New York, three men – Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit – were arrested for using AI to alter and impersonate the voices and images of executives and attorneys at various companies in o…

Truvace record2 min read1 sourceEvidence: Moderate · 62/100 — Regulatory or legal action · 1 independent sourceJournalismTRV-2026-2404 · cite or check it
Three men charged in US with using AI to impersonate CEOs and steal millions

In brief

Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit have been charged in the Southern District of New York with using AI to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys, according to an indictment unsealed by the US Department of Justice. Prosecutors say the scheme took more than $129m from companies around the world between 2024 and 2026.

Prosecutors allege the men posed as a company executive to ask employees for help with sensitive financial transactions, then directed them to contact lawyers at a large international law firm. A second impersonator posing as a lawyer then had the employees wire the money. The allegations have not been tested in court.

US officials framed the case as a warning about criminal use of AI. FBI assistant director James C Barnacle Jr said it shows how advanced technology can be exploited for large-scale fraud, and that the bureau is working to adapt to criminals who weaponize emerging technologies.

Main points

  1. Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain over the summer, and Sheetrit was arrested in the United Kingdom in September.
  2. Alleged victims include a Missouri hospital system (nearly $5m), a Rhode Island bank (about $2.7m), a California hospital system (about $3m), a Massachusetts mutual fund (over $4.6m) and a Florida pet food company (about $5m).
  3. The men also allegedly stole over $11m from a UK tech company.
  4. Employees were told to wire money to accounts in the US, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia and China.
  5. The stolen money was allegedly converted into cryptocurrency to conceal its source and shared among the men and co-conspirators.
  6. Charges are conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money-laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

The problem

US prosecutors allege three men used AI to alter their voices and images to pose as CEOs and lawyers, tricking employees into wiring more than $129m from companies worldwide between 2024 and 2026.

The full story

The indictment describes a two-step impersonation. Employees first heard from someone posing as a corporate executive, using AI-altered voice and image, who said they needed help with a sensitive financial transaction. They were then sent to people posing as lawyers at a large international law firm, who told them to wire large sums.

Prosecutors say the money went to bank accounts across multiple countries and was then converted to cryptocurrency. They say the proceeds were distributed among the men and their co-conspirators. Soall and Hazan used aliases including Seba Clarke, Rocky Balboa, Superman Cash, Fat Boy and Ron.

US attorney Jamie McDonald said AI has great potential but the public should recognize that some may use the technology for criminal goals. The case covers hospitals, a bank, a mutual fund and a pet food company, and the charges include aggravated identity theft.

Sources

  1. JournalismThe Guardian2026-11-06

The debate