WP: Impostor using AI to mimic US Secretary of State Marco Rubio targets officials

An impersonator using artificial intelligence to mimic Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s voice and writing style has contacted foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress, according to a senior U.S. official and a State Department cable obtained by The Washington Post.

The impostor used text messaging and the encrypted app Signal to contact at least five individuals, creating a Signal account under the name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov,” though this is not Rubio’s real email. The cable states, “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.” Other State Department personnel were also impersonated via email.

U.S. officials believe the impersonation aimed to manipulate powerful government officials with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts, but the culprit remains unknown. The State Department said it will “carry out a thorough investigation and continue to implement safeguards to prevent this from happening in the future.”

Digital forensics expert Hany Farid explained that such attacks are easy to conduct with only “15 to 20 seconds of audio” of the target, which can be uploaded to AI services to generate voice messages. He noted, “Leaving voicemails is particularly effective because it’s not interactive.”

The FBI has previously warned of an “ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaign” where “malicious actors” impersonate senior U.S. officials using AI-generated voices to “elicit information or funds.” The FBI advised, “If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic.”

Officials are urged to report impersonation attempts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Similar AI impersonation scams targeting government officials have also been reported in Ukraine and Canada.

By Vugar Khalilov