Three Charged in AI Impersonation Scheme That Stole $129 Million
WHO:
CBS News US - Prosecutors said three people were indicted over an alleged scheme to use AI to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys.
ABC News - The defendants are Jacob Soall, 41; Sharon Hazan, 54; and Guy Sheetrit, 42.
ABC News - The indictment says the defendants targeted thousands of companies worldwide. Their alleged victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a bank in Rhode Island, a financial technology company in the United Kingdom, a mutual fund company in Massachusetts, and a pet food company in Florida.
ABC News - The defendants were described as coming from Spain, the UK, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. The article does not specify which person came from which country.
ABC News - The defendants’ nicknames included “Rocky Balboa,” “Superman Cash,” and “Fat Boy.”
ABC News - Lawyers for Soall and Sheetrit did not immediately respond to requests for comment; it was unclear whether Hazan had an attorney. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to a voicemail.
ABC News - FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. said the case demonstrated that advanced technology can be used for large-scale fraud.
WHAT:
CBS News US - The alleged scheme stole about $129 million from companies.
ABC News - The three were indicted on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges and also charged with money laundering.
ABC News - Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, except aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum of two years, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
ABC News - Hazan was convicted in a New York court of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
WHERE:
ABC News - The indictment was filed in a U.S. District Court in New York. The alleged scheme targeted companies across the world.
WHEN:
ABC News - The alleged scheme operated over more than a year and a half. The three defendants were arrested between June and September.
WHY:
ABC News - According to court documents, the alleged impersonations were used to persuade employees to wire large payments.
HOW:
ABC News - The defendants allegedly emailed companies’ accounting departments, posing as CEOs and requesting help with confidential financial transactions, then used AI to mimic CEOs’ voices and sometimes images during phone or video calls.
ABC News - The alleged CEO impersonators directed employees to contact attorneys at major law firms; the group allegedly impersonated those attorneys as well. Soall mainly posed as UK attorneys and used a handwritten script titled “Lawyer Call” to appear authentic.
ABC News - The impersonated attorneys allegedly directed employees to wire large payments to bank accounts around the world. The money was converted into cryptocurrency to conceal its origin, then distributed to the defendants and others involved.
ABC News - Barnacle said: “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.”
(UPDATED November 6, 2026 17:04 UTC)
Three people were indicted in an alleged AI-powered fraud scheme that stole about $129 million. They allegedly impersonated executives and attorneys, tricking employees into wiring money to accounts worldwide. The defendants face fraud, identity theft, and money laundering charges over the alleged scheme.