(The Center Square) – An imposter posed as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and used a fake AI voice while sending voice and text messages to high-level U.S. officials, including at least three foreign ministers, a governor and a member of Congress.
The individual contacted the officials in mid-June through both text messaging and Signal, an encrypted messaging app used by the Trump administration, probably with the intent to manipulate and gain information from the officials, according to the State Department.
A State Department cable obtained by The Washington Post said the imposter created a Signal account last month under the display name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov,” a fake State Department email address, to appear legitimate to the targeted individuals. The perpetrator left voicemails using AI to mimic Rubio’s real voice and text messages that replicated his writing style.
The individual also used logos and branding used by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Technology to further convince the diplomats and politicians of their authenticity.
The cable did not name the U.S. officials who were targeted nor what the messages referred to.
The State Department has not identified the imposter but vowed to investigate the situation thoroughly.
“The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter,” a senior State Department official said. “The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents.”
The incident comes after an individual posed as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and reached out to her personal contacts and a politician through calls and texts. The FBI opened an investigation into this incident in May.
