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yesterday

State Department Investigates AI Deepfake Scam Posing as Rubio

Security agencies have urged reporting of any spoofed messages following the discovery of AI-driven voice cloning targeting senior diplomats and elected officials

FILE - Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
The impersonator made a profile on Signal with the display name Marco.Rubio@state.gov.
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Overview

  • In mid-June, an unknown actor used AI-generated voice and text via a fake Signal account to contact three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress.
  • A July 3 cable from Secretary Rubio’s office circulated a warning to diplomats and initiated a Bureau of Diplomatic Security investigation into the impersonations.
  • Messages came from a Signal account displaying [email protected], including voicemails left on the app and text invitations to chat.
  • The State Department has told U.S. diplomats to report any impersonation attempts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and directed non-State contacts to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
  • Experts warn that realistic voice cloning can be produced with just 15–20 seconds of audio, raising broader cybersecurity concerns as deepfake tools become more accessible.