Amazon Music

Company

Last mentioned: Mar 21, 2026

Timeline

  1. Guilty Plea

    Smith officially pleads guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in a Manhattan federal court.

  2. Federal Indictment

    US prosecutors unseal charges against Smith for wire fraud and money laundering.

  3. AI Integration

    Smith transitions to using AI-generated tracks to exponentially increase the volume of content.

  4. Scheme Inception

    Michael Smith begins using automated bots to stream his own music to generate royalties.

Stories mentioning Amazon Music 1

security Bearish

US Man Pleads Guilty to $10M AI-Generated Music Streaming Fraud

Michael Smith of North Carolina has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for orchestrating a massive $10 million royalty theft scheme using AI-generated music and automated botnets. The operation, which spanned seven years, highlights a growing cybersecurity threat where synthetic content and automated traffic are used to exploit digital payout systems.

2 sources