Fake CEOs in video calls: AI clones helped steal $129 million, US prosecutors say An employee will get a call from the boss about a secret deal. The voice, and sometimes the face, was an AI copy of the real CEO. Then a "lawyer" from a large international company joined in, also a fake with AI, and told the employee where to transfer the money. Prosecutors say the team impersonated at least seven executives between 2024 and 2026. One fintech company in the UK lost more than $11.5 million, a pet food company in Florida more than $5.2 million, a hospital in Missouri almost $5 million. Three men are charged in New York. They were arrested in Spain and the UK and are awaiting extradition. The money went through accounts in the US, Europe, the UAE and China, then into crypto. The US attorney urged "individuals and the business community to consider how best to protect themselves. ".

Fake CEOs in video calls: AI clones helped steal $129 million, US prosecutors say An employee will get a call from the boss about a secret deal. The voice, and sometimes the face, was an AI copy of the real CEO. Then a "lawyer" from a large international company joined in, also a fake with AI, and told the employee where to transfer the money. Prosecutors say the team impersonated at least seven executives between 2024 and 2026. One fintech company in the UK lost more than $11.5 million, a pet food company in Florida more than $5.2 million, a hospital in Missouri almost $5 million. Three men are charged in New York. They were arrested in Spain and the UK and are awaiting extradition. The money went through accounts in the US, Europe, the UAE and China, then into crypto. The US attorney urged "individuals and the business community to consider how best to protect themselves. ".