The $129m voice scam
The Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit with stealing more than $129 million from companies worldwide between 2024 and 2026. The three foreign nationals allegedly used artificial intelligence to alter the voices and images of corporate executives and attorneys to convince employees to send 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 scheme targeted employees at various firms by posing as a corporate executive who needed help with sensitive financial transactions. Victims were instructed to contact lawyers at a large international law firm, where the fraudsters would then impersonate legal staff to direct wires. This method allowed the trio to bypass standard verification protocols and extract funds from organizations across the globe.
Money laundering and specific losses
The defendants directed victims to wire money to bank accounts in the United States, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia, and China. After receiving the transfers, the men converted the proceeds into cryptocurrency "in an attempt to conceal the source, ownership, and control of the stolen proceeds." Specific losses include nearly $5 million from a Missouri hospital system, about $2.7 million from a Rhode Island bank, and over $3 million from a California hospital system. A mutual fund headquartered in Massachusetts lost over $4.6 million, while a Florida pet food company suffered approximately $5 million in damages. A UK tech company reported losing over $11 million to the group. Soall operated under aliases such as "Seba Clarke" and "Rocky Balboa," whereas Hazan used names like "Superman Cash" and "Fat Boy." The men face charges for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money-laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. FBI assistant director James C Barnacle Jr stated that the scheme demonstrates how advanced technology can be exploited to commit large-scale fraud. He emphasized that the FBI remains committed to disrupting those who seek to harm businesses operating in their communities.
