Marco Rubio imposter using AI to call high-level officials
Rubio impersonator used AI in calls to officials
An imposter using AI to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted multiple high-level officials, according to a State Department cable.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department is warning U.S. diplomats about a sophisticated impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence, officials confirmed.
According to a diplomatic cable dated July 3, someone posing as Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to contact multiple high-ranking individuals, including at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator, and a state governor.
The alert, shared by two senior officials and reviewed by The Associated Press, emphasizes growing concerns over the misuse of AI technologies to mimic public officials.
Marco Rubio imposter calling officials
Big picture view:
The fraudulent messages were sent via text, encrypted messaging app Signal, and voice mail, and suggest a broader effort to deceive recipients into believing they were communicating directly with Secretary Rubio.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations | Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs at the Rayburn House Office Building on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Credit: John
One of the officials told The Associated Press that the hoaxes had been unsuccessful and "not very sophisticated." Nonetheless, the second official said the department deemed it "prudent" to advise all employees and foreign governments, particularly as efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security increase.
The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
State Department ‘investigating the matter’
What they're saying:
"The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter," a senior State Department official said in a statement to FOX Local. "The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents."
For security reasons, and due to its ongoing investigation, the official said they were not in the position to offer further details at this time.
FBI says scheme relies on AI voice messages, texts
Dig deeper:
This news follows other high-level officials who have faced AI-driven impersonation.
In May, the government said it was investigating after elected officials and business executives received messages from someone impersonating Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.
"They breached the phone; they tried to impersonate her," Trump told reporters. "Nobody can impersonate her. There’s only one Susie."
RELATED: FBI investigates effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles: report
This past spring, the FBI also warned in a public service announcement of a "malicious text and voice messaging campaign" in which unidentified "malicious actors" have been impersonating senior U.S. government officials.
The scheme, according to the FBI, has relied on text messages and AI-generated voice messages that purport to come from a senior U.S. official and that aim to dupe other government officials as well as the victim’s associates and contacts.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The information for this story was provided by the U.S. State Department. The Associated Press contributed.