By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-charged-in-129-million-ai-scheme-targeting-thousands-of-companies Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 3 charged in $129 million AI scheme targeting thousands of companies Nation Nov 6, 2026 1:59 PM EST NEW YORK (AP) — Three people accused of using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys to steal about $129 million have been indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, prosecutors said Thursday. Over more than a year and a half, Jacob Soall, 41, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Sheetrit, 42, targeted thousands of companies across the world in their AI scheme, according to the indictment filed in a U.S. District Court in New York. Their 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, according to court documents. The defendants, from Spain, the UK, Israel and United Arab Emirates, were also charged with money laundering, according to…
3 charged in $129 million AI scheme targeting thousands of companies
In short
The defendants allegedly contacted accounting staff via fake executive emails requesting urgent assistance with confidential transactions. To finalize the transfers, the group deployed artificial intelligence tools to mimic the voices and appearances of corporate leaders on live calls, while also posing as attorneys from prominent law firms. The misappropriated funds were directed to offshore bank accounts and subsequently swapped into cryptocurrency to obfuscate the transaction trail. Prosecutors noted that one of the accused men, Sharon Hazan, had a prior 2008 conviction for bank fraud conspiracy.
Key points
- Defendants face up to twenty years in prison for each primary charge alongside a two-year…: Defendants face up to twenty years in prison for each primary charge alongside a two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
- Fraudulent wire transfers were sent to international accounts before being laundered thro…: Fraudulent wire transfers were sent to international accounts before being laundered through digital cryptocurrency exchanges.
- Accounting personnel were coerced into wiring capital after consulting with defendants im…: Accounting personnel were coerced into wiring capital after consulting with defendants impersonating attorneys from major law firms.