The US Justice Department said on Thursday that three men used AI to pose as company chiefs and lawyers and steal about $129 million. Prosecutors in New York unsealed an indictment against Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit. They say the men copied the voices or faces of chief executives and of lawyers at large law firms. Staff were then told to wire money to bank accounts the group controlled. The Justice Department says the scheme ran from 2024 to 2026. It named six victims, including a UK financial technology firm that lost about $11.6 million and a Florida pet food company that lost about $5.2 million.
Soall was arrested in Spain on June 17, Hazan in Spain on August 5, and Sheetrit in the UK on September 7. Extradition requests are pending. The charges are allegations, and the men are presumed innocent. CyberScoop reported seven counts with a top sentence of 104 years. It also named a seventh victim, a New York investment company that lost about $2.8 million. The Justice Department's list does not include that firm. CyberScoop said court records show thousands of people were targeted. The sources do not say how much money has been recovered.
The alleged method relied on one employee acting on a convincing call. CyberScoop reported that the group picked staff with enough authority to approve large wire transfers. For teams that build or buy payment and approval tools, the case shows that a familiar voice or face on a call can be faked.