How attackers step between clients and advisors

Victims are tricked by a relationship they believe is real

Bad actors build fictitious advisor or client personas, complete with robust LinkedIn^® profiles,¹ fabricated credentials, and believable networks, and use them to infiltrate investor transactions. Once credibility is established, the ask follows: invest here, move funds, change account details, or redirect a wire.

This works because digital trust in high-value financial relationships is still built on perception rather than verification. A credible profile, the right language, and a warm introduction are enough.

Real world example

Case in point: a deepfake of David Rosenberg, founder of Rosenberg Research, was used to promote fake investment opportunities, with victims submitting personal details to the scammers before realizing the endorsement was AI-generated.² According to Rosenberg, “These bots have perfected my speech, my tone, my facial features and they even use my firm’s logo. They’ll have a fake assistant ready to steal your money. It’s gotten completely out of control.”²

People with authority and expertise like Rosenberg have influence—which makes them a prime target for impersonation. AI lets these attackers impersonate either advisors or high-net worth individuals to steal funds with ease.‍

Real world example

A Financial Times investigation exposed an entire AI-generated investment advisory network built around a fictional advisor (“Sebastian Hatherleigh”).³ The scammer advised clients in a group WhatsApp platform⁴ chat with approximately 100 members.