Israelis among three suspects charged for $129 million fraud scheme, using AI to impersonate CEOs

Two Israeli men, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit, along with Spanish-British Jacob Soall, were charged in a $129 million fraud scheme that used AI to impersonate CEOs. The charges, unsealed by the FBI and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, include wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. The suspects allegedly used AI to fake CEO voices and images to trick employees into wiring money to accounts controlled by co-conspirators. Extradition from Spain and the UK is pending.

Two Israeli men were among three individuals charged in a $129 million fraud scheme that used artificial intelligence to impersonate CEOs, according to documents unsealed by the FBI and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York on Thursday. Israeli national Sharon Hazan and dual Israeli-Emirati national Guy Sheetrit, along with dual Spanish-British national Jacob Soall, were charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. The scheme involved using AI to fake the voice and image of company CEOs, instructing employees to wire money to accounts controlled by co-conspirators in multiple countries. The stolen funds were converted into cryptocurrency. Specific victims include a UK-based financial technology company ($11.6 million), a Missouri hospital system ($4.8 million), a Florida pet food company ($5.2 million), and a California hospital system ($3 million). Hazan, previously convicted of fraud in New York in 2008, allegedly bragged about laundering over $400 million. Soall was arrested in Spain on July 17; Hazan and Sheetrit were arrested in Spain and the UK respectively on September 7. Extradition requests are pending.