3 allegedly used AI to steal some $129 million from companies by impersonating executives and lawyers

November 6, 2026 / 6:22 AM EST / CBS/AP

New York — 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 U.K., Israel and the United Arab Emirates, were also charged with money laundering, according to the indictment.

Lawyers for Soall and Sheetrit didn't immediately respond to an email requesting comment. It wasn't clear whether Hazan had an attorney. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York didn't immediately respond to a voicemail left by The Associated Press.

The three were arrested between June and September —…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/