In a striking revelation, an unidentified individual has reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with the intent of contacting foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress.
The impersonator's motives remain unclear, but it is suspected that the individual aimed to gain access to sensitive information or accounts.
The Washington Post, citing a senior U.S. official and a cable sent by Rubio's office to State Department employees, reported that the identity of the impersonator remains unknown. The impersonator reportedly used both text messaging and the encrypted messaging app Signal to carry out the deception.
The cable, dated July, revealed that the impersonator "contacted at least five non-Department individuals, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a U.S. member of Congress" after creating a Signal account using the display name This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in mid-June. This email address, however, is not Rubio's actual address.
"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 stated, as reported by The Washington Post. The cable further revealed that other State Department employees were also impersonated via email.
When Newsmax sought comments from both the State Department and the White House, a senior department official responded, "The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter." The official further emphasized the Department's commitment to safeguarding its information and improving its cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents. However, due to security reasons and the ongoing investigation, the official declined to provide further details.
This incident is not the first time the administration has faced issues involving the Signal chat platform. In March, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief was accidentally included in a group chat with top Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and then-White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, who were discussing plans for military action in Yemen.
In April, Hegseth created another Signal messaging chat that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of a March military airstrike against Yemen's Houthi terrorists. These details were sent in another chain with top Trump administration leaders, as reported by The New York Times. Hegseth later clarified that "informal, unclassified coordinations" were shared in the online chat and added that an internal probe into leakers at the Pentagon was ongoing.
In May, the Journal reported that federal authorities were investigating an effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. This incident, along with the recent AI-powered impersonation of Marco Rubio, underscores the growing threat of cybercrime and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
As technology advances, so do the methods employed by those seeking to exploit it for malicious purposes. The government's commitment to safeguarding its information and improving its cybersecurity posture is not only necessary but crucial in the face of these evolving threats.
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