Three indicted in alleged $129 million AI impersonation scheme

Three men have been indicted in New York on charges that they used artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and lawyers in a scheme prosecutors say diverted about $129 million from companies between 2024 and 2026. The indictment names Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit, and the allegations have not been tested at trial. Prosecutors say the men and their alleged co-conspirators contacted employees responsible for authorizing large payments, presenting themselves as company chief executives involved in confidential financial transactions. They allegedly used AI-generated or altered voices and, in some instances, images during calls or video meetings. Employees were then directed to contact lawyers at major law firms, whom the group also allegedly impersonated. The purported attorneys instructed employees to wire money to bank accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say the funds were moved through accounts in several countries, converted into cryptocurrency and distributed among the defendants and other participants. The indictment alleges Soall primarily posed as a lawyer and kept a handwritten script...