Three people have been indicted in New York over an alleged scheme that used artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys to steal about $129 million, prosecutors announced Nov. 5, 2026. The charges include wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, the Associated Press reported in an article published by ABC News.
The defendants are Jacob Soall, 41, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Sheetrit, 42, according to AP's report. The alleged scheme ran from July 2024 through February 2026, Aaron Katersky of ABC News reported, citing the indictment.
Alleged CEO and lawyer impersonations
The approach often began in a company's accounting department. Employees allegedly received an email purporting to come from their CEO, asking for help with a confidential financial transaction, according to court documents described by AP. The defendants also allegedly arranged phone or video calls using AI to mimic the CEO's voice and sometimes image, AP reported.
Employees were then told to contact an attorney at a major law firm, whom the group was also prepared to impersonate, according to the court documents. The impersonated lawyer would direct employees to wire large payments to bank accounts around the world, AP reported. Those accounts were controlled by members of the alleged conspiracy, .
