Particle.news
Download on the App Store
57 ARTICLES
·
13h ago

State Department Probes AI Deepfake Impersonation of Secretary Rubio

The response bolsters defenses against AI-driven vishing by requiring officials to report suspicious messages immediately.

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.
Image

Overview

  • Since mid-June, an unknown actor has used AI-generated voice and text via Signal and SMS to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and contact at least five senior officials.
  • A July 3 internal cable warned that the fake Rubio account reached three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress in an apparent bid for sensitive information or account access.
  • Authorities believe the impersonator mimicked Rubio’s speech patterns and writing style to manipulate targets and establish trust before seeking credentials.
  • State Department officials have launched a formal investigation, rolled out enhanced cybersecurity safeguards and directed diplomatic posts to flag any spoofed communications.
  • The FBI continues to track AI-driven smishing and vishing schemes, underscoring its April warning about deepfake impersonation threats to senior U.S. officials.