Three Men Charged in a $129 Million Scheme That Faked Bosses' Voices With AI

Federal prosecutors in New York have charged three men in a scheme that used artificial intelligence to copy the voices of company bosses and steal about 129 million dollars. The case is a warning for everyone, including older adults, about how real a faked voice can now sound.

According to TheNextWeb, the three men, Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit, face charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. Prosecutors say the group used AI to mimic the voice, and sometimes the image, of a real chief executive. A worker would get a call from what sounded like the boss about a secret deal, then be sent to a fake lawyer who gave bank details for a wire transfer. The stolen money was turned into cryptocurrency to hide its trail.

The victims were companies, not individuals, and they were spread across several countries. A hospital system in Missouri lost about 4.8 million dollars, and a financial firm in Britain lost about 11.6 million dollars. The men were arrested in Spain and Britain over the course of the year, and the United States is seeking to bring them here for trial. The most serious charges carry up to 20 years in prison. The men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The same tools used against big companies are being turned on families. With only a few seconds of audio, often taken from social media, a scammer can copy a loved one's voice and make a phone call that sounds like a grandchild in trouble and asking for money right away.

Safety experts offer plain advice. Do not trust a voice alone. If you get an urgent call asking for money or gift cards, hang up and call the person back on a number you already know. Many families now agree on a private safe word that only a real relative would know.