US govt warns staff, diplomats of attempted Rubio impersonation using AI

A message sent from Rubio's office to State Department staff stated the purpose was likely "with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts".

The United States Department of State has warned diplomats to beware of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials using artificial intelligence, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

 

The warning follows a Washington Post report that an individual posing as Rubio contacted several senior officials — including three foreign ministers, a US governor and a member of Congress — using AI to mimic Rubio’s voice and writing style. The newspaper cited a senior US official and a State Department cable dated July 3.

 

“The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals and, in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal,” the cable said.

 

‘Access to information and accounts’

Authorities have not yet identified the person behind the impersonation attempts. However, officials suspect the aim was to deceive senior figures in order to obtain access to sensitive information or online accounts. A message from Rubio’s office to State Department staff stated the purpose was likely “with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts,” The Washington Post reported.

 

It added that in mid-June, the impersonator created a Signal account under the display name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov” to contact diplomats and officials both within the US and internationally. The cable clarified this was a display name and not an actual government email address, the report added.

 

The State Department declined to reveal the content of the messages or the identities of those targeted.

Not a first

The Rubio incident is not isolated. In May, a separate impersonation attempt targeted Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff. Someone allegedly accessed her phone and began calling and messaging senators, governors and business leaders while posing as Wiles, The Wall Street Journal reported.

 

That same month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned that “malicious actors” had been impersonating top US officials in “an ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaign”. These attempts, which included AI-generated voices, were intended to “elicit information or funds,” the report added.

 

“If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official,” the FBI warned, “do not assume it is authentic.”