US hospital systems AI media incident — Nov 2026
Three individuals orchestrated a $129 million fraud scheme using deepfake CEO and attorney impersonations to deceive employees into wiring funds
- Reported date
- Nov 9, 2026
- Target
- US hospital systems, Rhode Island bank, UK financial technology company, Florida pet food company
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
Between 2024 and 2026, three men allegedly executed a sophisticated fraud scheme that utilized deepfake technology to impersonate corporate executives and attorneys, resulting in the theft of over $129 million. The operation targeted a diverse range of organizations, including US hospital systems, a Rhode Island bank, a UK financial technology firm, and a Florida pet food company.
What happened
The conspiracy involved Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit, who used AI to mimic the voices and images of CEOs during business calls. The attackers typically initiated contact by posing as a company's chief executive to authorize a sham financial transaction. To add legitimacy, they would direct employees to communicate with individuals posing as attorneys from large international law firms. Soall, who often played the role of a UK lawyer, utilized a handwritten script titled "Lawyer Call" to maintain the ruse and discourage victims from discussing the transactions with colleagues.
Once employees were convinced of the transaction's validity, the impersonators directed them to wire funds into accounts controlled by the conspirators. The stolen money was routed through accounts in various countries, including the US, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the UAE, Singapore, Austria, Slovakia, and China. To obscure the trail, the group converted the funds into cryptocurrency before splitting the proceeds. Hazan and Sheetrit were allegedly responsible for laundering the stolen capital. The scheme was eventually uncovered, leading to federal charges against all three men, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.