Fake Executives, Stolen Millions: AI Fraud Scandal Shakes America

US authorities have revealed a massive international fraud operation in which two Israelis and a third individual were accused of using artificial intelligence to impersonate chief executives and lawyers, seizing more than $129 million from companies worldwide.

According to an indictment unsealed in New York on Thursday, the Israelis Sharon Hazan (54) and Guy Shatrit (42), along with Jacob Sol (41), who resides in Spain and Britain, employed advanced technologies to mimic the voices and faces of executive directors. Their goal was to persuade employees to execute large financial transfers under alleged secret deals, as reported by ABC News.

The US prosecution stated that the defendants contacted employees authorized to transfer funds, then impersonated lawyers at major law firms to validate the fictitious transactions before directing victims to send money to bank accounts they controlled.

Investigations revealed that the suspects converted the stolen funds into cryptocurrencies to obscure their origins. The list of victims included hospitals, financial institutions, and technology companies in the United States and Britain.

Authorities announced the arrest of the defendants between June and September 2026 in Spain and Britain. They face charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, while extradition proceedings to the United States continue. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty.