Three men charged in US for AI‑driven CEO impersonation scheme

The Guardian reported that three foreign nationals have been charged in the United States for using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate CEOs and attorneys and steal more than $100 million. According to a press release from the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, the indictment names Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan and Guy Sheetrit. The men allegedly altered voices and images of executives to convince employees to transfer large payments.

Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain over the summer, while Sheetrit was taken into custody in the United Kingdom in September. The alleged fraud took place between 2024 and 2026. The Department of Justice unsealed the indictment this week, marking a rare public disclosure of an AI‑enabled fraud case.

U.S. prosecutors say the scheme demonstrates how deep‑fake technology can be weaponized to deceive corporate staff and extract funds.

Why it matters

The case highlights the growing risk of AI‑generated deep‑fakes being used for large‑scale financial fraud and shows law enforcement’s willingness to pursue cross‑border investigations.

Key details

Location

United States · Americas

Reported by

The Guardian

First reported

7 Nov 2026, 02:50 IST

Key names

AI, CEOs, US Department of Justice, York

Section

Technology

Sources

This is an independent summary. Read the full, original reporting from the publisher:

• The GuardianThree men charged in US with using AI to impersonate CEOs and steal millions 7 Nov, 02:50

Read the full story at The Guardian ↗

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