Federal prosecutors have unsealed charges against three foreign nationals accused of running a multinational fraud scheme that used artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and steal more than $129 million. The defendants are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. Two suspects were arrested in Spain and the third in the United Kingdom, with extradition proceedings underway. Prosecutors say the operation targeted corporate staff with synthetic media that cloned the voices and visual likenesses of company chief executive officers. Employees were allegedly told to help with confidential financial transactions, then directed to liaise with outside counsel at prominent international law firms. Once scammers had corporate staff involved, prosecutors say they impersonated those attorneys using cloned audio and scripted dialogue meant to discourage employees from consulting colleagues. Employees then allegedly wired corporate funds to overseas accounts controlled by the syndicate. Court filings describe stolen capital being wired to accounts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East before being converted into cryptocurrency to help conceal the financial trail. The case is handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spain’s Policía Nacional and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.