Imagine waking up to a voicemail from \"Secretary of State Marco Rubio,\" urging you to share sensitive details. That stark scenario was flagged last week by the U.S. State Department, which discovered an impostor using AI to target high-level officials across the globe.
According to a July 3 cable sent to all embassies and consulates, two senior officials confirmed that the fake Rubio account reached out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor via text, Signal messages and voicemail. While the messages were unsuccessful and deemed \"not very sophisticated,\" the department called it \"prudent\" to alert employees and partners.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, \"The department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously take steps to improve our cybersecurity posture.\" She declined further comment citing security reasons and an ongoing investigation.
This isn't an isolated case. In May, an AI-powered impersonator targeted President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. And this spring, the FBI warned about \"malicious actors\" using AI-driven texts and voice messages to mimic senior U.S. officials, raising the stakes for global diplomacy.
The cable stressed there's \"no direct cyber threat to the department,\" but warned that compromised conversations could expose sensitive data to third parties. As AI tools evolve, experts predict a spike in high-tech phishing attempts worldwide.
For diplomats, entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts, the message is clear: always verify identities through official channels, use multi-factor authentication and stay alert to unusual requests. In a world where a voice can be faked, digital vigilance is the best defense.
As AI impersonation schemes multiply, this incident underscores the urgent need for updated security training and global cooperation to stay one step ahead of tomorrow's deepfakes.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
