Particle.news

Download on the App Store

AI Impostor Masquerades as Marco Rubio to Target Diplomats via Signal

The State Department has opened a probe, reinforcing authentication measures for diplomatic messaging.

Overview

  • An unknown actor used AI to clone Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s voice and writing style and contacted at least five officials, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a congressman.
  • The fraudster created a fake Signal account under the username “[email protected]” in mid-June, sending voice messages and texts to solicit sensitive information or account access.
  • A confidential cable dated July 3 directed diplomatic posts to alert external partners and report impersonation attempts to the Office of Diplomatic Security and the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center.
  • Officials believe the scheme aimed to manipulate targets into revealing classified details or credentials, but the impostor’s identity remains unknown.
  • The State Department has launched a comprehensive investigation, hardened messaging authentication protocols and urged personnel to verify identities before sharing information.