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2w ago

State Department Probes AI-Powered Impersonation of Secretary Rubio

A diplomatic cable warns that an unknown actor used a fake Rubio voice paired with a matching text persona to contact five senior government figures.

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

  • The impersonator created a Signal account in mid-June using the display name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov” to send AI-generated voicemails and text messages mimicking Rubio’s style.
  • A July 3 cable informed all U.S. embassies and consulates that at least three foreign ministers, a governor and a member of Congress received outreach from the fake Rubio.
  • The State Department has opened an investigation and instructed diplomats to report any such deepfake attempts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
  • Non-State Department officials have been advised to file incident reports with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
  • Cybersecurity experts warn that readily available AI voice-cloning tools and encrypted messaging apps heighten risks to official communications.