Someone has been trying to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio by using artificial intelligence (AI) to contact foreign leaders and U.S. lawmakers, according to multiple reports Tuesday.
A memo from the State Department dated Thursday, which was obtained by The Associated Press, The Washington Post and other outlets this week, warned that an imposter posing as Rubio had reached out to at least three unidentified foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor. None of the recipients were identified.
The scam messages were reportedly sent via text, Signal and voicemail.
“The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter,” a spokesperson said in a message to The Hill. “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 State spokesperson added that additional details could not be provided because there is an ongoing investigation.
The AP quoted one official at the department, who was not named, as describing the hoaxes as “not very sophisticated.” Another told the outlet that the memo was meant as an advisory.
The FBI issued a warning earlier this year about text messages and AI-generated voice messages supposedly from senior U.S. officials.
“If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic,” the FBI cautioned.
Rubio is at least the second top-level Trump administration official to face digital impersonation efforts this year.
The White House and FBI launched an investigation in May into an alleged imposter’s attempt to pose as chief of staff Susie Wiles in text messages and calls to Republican lawmakers and business leaders.
The addition of Signal in the Rubio impersonation scheme follows news earlier this year that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the private messaging app to relay military plans to other Cabinet officials and family members.
