Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have unsealed an indictment charging three foreign nationals with using advanced technology to impersonate corporate CEOs and lawyers, resulting in the theft of approximately $129 million from companies around the world.
The individuals, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit, allegedly used fake voices and images to convince employees to wire large sums of money to accounts controlled by the conspirators. The scheme, which ran from 2024 to 2026, involved the impersonation of CEOs and lawyers, with the fake lawyers eventually instructing employees to wire money to the conspirators' accounts.
The money was then converted to cryptocurrency to hide its source and split among the conspirators. The indictment lists six examples of companies that were defrauded, totaling around $31.9 million. The three individuals face seven counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, except for two counts of aggravated identity theft, which carry a maximum sentence of two years. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The US Attorney's office has urged the business community to be aware of the emerging threat of technology-enabled crime and to take steps to protect themselves.
The case is being handled by the office's Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with assistance from law enforcement agencies in Spain and the UK. The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI is asking anyone who believes they were a victim to come forward.