Two Israelis Charged in US for $129 Million AI-Powered Fraud Scheme
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Two Israelis, Sharon Hazan and Guy Shitrit, along with Jacob Saul, have been indicted in the U.S. for a $129 million fraud scheme using AI to impersonate executives and lawyers. The group allegedly deceived employees into transferring funds to accounts they controlled. Victims included hospitals, banks, and companies across the U.S. and UK. The defendants were arrested in Europe and the U.S. is seeking their extradition to face charges including wire fraud and money laundering.
The story in 7 lines · by baba
- Two Israelis, Sharon Hazan and Guy Shitrit, are charged in the U.S. for a $129 million AI-powered fraud.
- The scheme involved impersonating executives and lawyers to trick employees into transferring funds.
- AI was used to mimic voices and appearances during fraudulent video calls.
- Victims included U.S. hospitals, banks, and companies, losing millions of dollars.
- The stolen money was laundered through multiple countries and converted to cryptocurrency.
- The three defendants were arrested in Europe and the U.S. is seeking extradition.
- Hazan has a prior U.S. conviction for bank fraud conspiracy.
Federal prosecutors in the United States have indicted two Israeli nationals, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Shitrit, 42, along with their alleged accomplice Jacob Saul, 41, for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that siphoned over $129 million from companies globally. The group allegedly impersonated corporate executives and lawyers, using artificial intelligence to mimic voices and even appearances during video calls to deceive employees into transferring funds. The indictment, filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, details how the scheme operated between 2024 and 2026. The defendants targeted employees with authority to make large financial transfers, contacting them under the guise of CEOs discussing secret deals like acquisitions. They then directed employees to consult with "lawyers" from international firms, who were also part of the scam, to facilitate the transfers to bank accounts controlled by the group.
Victims included a Missouri hospital network ($4.83 million), a Rhode Island bank ($2.68 million), a California hospital network ($2.97 million), a British fintech company ($11.58 million), a Massachusetts investment firm ($4.64 million), and a Florida pet food manufacturer ($5.24 million). Funds were laundered through accounts in the U.S., Spain, Portugal, Greece, UAE, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia, and China, before being converted to cryptocurrency to obscure their origin. In one instance in October 2024, an employee of a New York investment firm nearly transferred $2.85 million after a fake CEO's request, but the transaction was halted by the company's operations department.
Investigators identified specific roles within the group. Jacob Saul, who used aliases like "Rocky Balboa," allegedly specialized in impersonating lawyers and was found with a script for convincing employees to maintain secrecy. Sharon Hazan, known as "Superman Cash" and "Mission Impossible," is accused of laundering the stolen funds and reportedly boasted of laundering over $400 million in the past three years, claiming to be the world's best. Hazan has a prior U.S. conviction for bank fraud conspiracy in 2008. The three defendants were apprehended in Europe: Saul in Spain on June 17, Hazan in Spain on August 5, and Shitrit in the UK on September 7. The U.S. is seeking their extradition. Each faces seven charges, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, with potential sentences of up to 20 years per count. The FBI is continuing its investigation and urges potential victims to come forward.
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