Key Takeaways
- AI CEO impersonation scheme: US prosecutors charged three men with tricking staff into wiring more than $129 million.
- Voice-clone fraud comparison: the $129 million total is more than 530 times the $243,000 stolen in a 2019 voice-cloning fraud.
- Victims: Vietnam.vn and The Next Web describe six losses, including a Missouri hospital system ($4.8 million) and a UK fintech company ($11.6 million).
- Charges, not verdicts: the reports describe an indictment, and an indictment is a charge rather than a finding of guilt.
An indictment unsealed (made public) on Thursday charges three men with using AI to copy the voices and faces of company bosses and lawyers, tricking staff into wiring more than $129 million, the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan said.The AI CEO impersonation scheme ran from 2024 to 2026, according to the indictment. The three men are Soall, who the indictment says mainly posed as UK lawyers, and Hazan and Sheetrit, who are accused of laundering the money.
The $129 million total is more than 530 times the $243,000 stolen in a 2019 voice-cloning fraud, a ratio calculated for this story from figures in the two reports, which neither report prints. It compares totals only. The men are accused, and the reports describe charges rather than a verdict.
How the indictment says the impersonation calls worked
Voice cloning uses AI to copy a real person's voice. According to the indictment, the men called employees while posing as the company's chief executive, using AI to mimic the boss's voice or image. They asked for help with a secret deal. One of the men, the indictment says, mainly posed as UK lawyers and kept a handwritten script called Lawyer Call.
Vietnam.vn says the perpetrators used only phone calls, with voices identical to those of CEOs and lawyers, to deceive corporate employees. The indictment cites one example: an email sent to a major investment bank in New York City in October 2024. The two reports differ on this: Vietnam.vn describes phone calls only, while The Next Web says the charges cover copied faces as well as voices. The email asked employees to sign a confidentiality agreement and then contact a lawyer. Prosecutors describe a similar pattern repeating over an 18-month period that began in July 2024.
Hazan and Sheetrit are accused of laundering the money, according to The Next Web. The Next Web reports that two of the men are held in Spain and one in the UK.
Victims and losses described in the two reports
The reports describe six of the victims by sector and location, but they do not name them. A Missouri hospital system lost about $4.8 million, and a British fintech company (a financial technology firm) lost $11.6 million. A Florida pet food company lost $5 million, a California hospital system lost $3 million, a Massachusetts mutual fund lost $4.7 million, and a Rhode Island bank lost $2.7 million.
Added together, the six amounts come to $31.8 million, about a quarter of the more than $129 million total. The reports do not itemize the remaining money.
How $129 million compares with the 2019 voice-clone fraud
The Next Web describes the case as a larger version of a 2019 voice-cloning fraud, in which criminals faked a CEO's voice to steal $243,000. Dividing $129 million by $243,000 gives 530.9, so the total is more than 530 times the 2019 amount. Both cases involved a faked CEO voice. The Next Web says the newer charges also cover copied faces, while Vietnam.vn describes phone calls only.
The ratio compares totals only. Neither source gives a victim count for the 2019 case, so the comparison cannot be made per victim. The $129 million is what prosecutors allege, and an indictment is a charge rather than a verdict.
Since 2019, AI impersonation scams have grown fast, according to The Next Web. Vietnam.vn cites a 2025 FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center report that shows a sharp increase in digital fraud and cybersecurity threats. The total of initial complaints passed 1 million, and damages exceeded $20 billion, a 26% increase compared to 2024.
People Also Ask
How much did the AI CEO impersonation fraud take?
US federal prosecutors say the scheme cost businesses in the US and Europe more than $129 million. Soall, Hazan and Sheetrit are accused of tricking corporate employees into wiring money, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.
How did the AI voice impersonation calls work?
According to the indictment, Soall, Hazan and Sheetrit called employees while posing as company chief executives. They used AI to mimic the boss's voice or image and asked for help with a secret deal in the $129 million scheme.
How does the $129 million case compare with the 2019 voice-clone fraud?
The Next Web says a 2019 voice-cloning fraud stole $243,000 after criminals faked a CEO's voice. The $129 million AI CEO impersonation case is more than 530 times that 2019 loss.
Which victims lost money in the AI CEO impersonation case?
The reports describe six of the victims without naming them. Together those six lost $31.8 million, with a Missouri hospital system losing about $4.8 million and a British fintech company losing $11.6 million. The other four were a Florida pet food company, a California hospital system, a Massachusetts mutual fund and a Rhode Island bank.
Sources: Vietnam.vn, The Next Web.