The Washington Post today revealed the contents of a July 3 cable from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office to State Department personnel. The cable stated that an imposter had impersonated Secretary Rubio, contacting three foreign ministers, a US governor, and a member of Congress via text messages and the Signal messaging app.
To deceive recipients, the imposter sent AI-edited voice and text messages that mimicked Secretary Rubio's voice and writing style.
US officials have not yet identified the perpetrator, but they believe the culprit may be attempting to manipulate high-ranking government officials "with the goal of accessing information or accounts".
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington on 20/5. Photo: Reuters |
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington on 20/5. Photo: Reuters
The impersonation campaign began in mid-June when the imposter created a Signal account with the display name "Marco.Rubio@state.gov" to contact diplomats and politicians both domestically and internationally. This display name is not the Secretary of State's actual email address.
"The individual left voice messages on Signal for at least two individuals and, in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal," the cable said, noting that other State Department employees were also impersonated via email.
The cable urged US diplomats to report "any impersonation attempts" to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which is investigating the incident. Officials outside the State Department can notify the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
When asked about the cable, the State Department responded that they would "conduct a thorough investigation and continue to implement safeguards to prevent this from happening in the future".
This is not the first time a high-ranking US official has been impersonated. The Wall Street Journal reported in May that attackers compromised the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, impersonating her to call and text senators, governors, and business executives. The incident prompted an investigation by the White House and the FBI.
Vu Hoang (According to Washington Post, Reuters)
