Fraudsters stole more than $129 million from companies in the US and Europe by using artificial intelligence to spoof voices and images of executives. According to US prosecutors, over 18 months, the attackers convinced employees of several organizations, including banks and hospitals, to transfer money to dummy accounts. Deep audio and video forgeries are used.
The criminal plan was not based on direct hacking into the accounts, but on changing the identity of the person from whom the order allegedly came. An urgent transfer was carried out as an instruction from the management. The translations were made by the employees themselves, trusting the voice or image of the interlocutor. A recognizable voice or face was not enough of a defense.
Three suspects were arrested in the UK and Spain. They are awaiting extradition to the United States, where they face fraud and money laundering charges. The amount stolen shows the extent of the threat: a digital impersonation of an executive can turn internal payment approval procedures into a means of theft.