Three people with nicknames including “Rocky Balboa”, “Superman Cash” and “Fat Boy” have been indicted in the US for allegedly using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and lawyers in a fraud scheme that targeted thousands of companies worldwide and stole around $129 million.Jacob Soall, 41, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Sheetrit, 42, face charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, according to an indictment filed in a US District Court in New York. The alleged scheme ran for more than 18 months and targeted businesses across several countries, reported AP.According to court documents, the accused primarily targeted corporate accounting departments. They allegedly sent emails posing as company CEOs, asking employees to facilitate confidential financial transactions. The requests were followed by phone or video calls in which the defendants used AI to mimic the executives’ voices and, in some cases, their appearances.The group would then direct employees to contact an attorney at a major law firm, whom they were also prepared to impersonate. Soall allegedly posed as UK-based lawyers and had a “handwritten script titled ‘Lawyer Call’” to make himself appear genuine while speaking to victims, according to the US attorney’s office.Employees were subsequently instructed to transfer large sums to bank accounts across the world. The money was then converted into cryptocurrency to conceal its origins before being distributed among the accused and others involved, the indictment said.The alleged victims included hospital systems in Missouri and California, a Rhode Island bank, a UK-based financial technology company, a Massachusetts mutual fund company and a Florida pet food company.The three defendants, who are from Spain, the UK, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, were arrested between June and September. Hazan was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a New York court in 2008.FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C Barnacle Jr said the case highlighted how emerging technology could be exploited for large-scale fraud.“As criminals continue to weaponize emerging technologies, the FBI remains committed to rapidly adapting our capabilities to identify, investigate, and disrupt those who seek to harm New Yorkers and businesses operating in our communities,” he said.Lawyers for Soall and Sheetrit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It was unclear whether Hazan had legal representation.If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years on each wire fraud and money laundering charge, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory additional two-year sentence, according to the US attorney’s office.
