Fake Rubio uses AI to trick diplomats, U.S. officials

The report states that this individual pretended to be the Secretary of State under Donald Trump's administration and used AI-generated voice and text messages mimicking Rubio's tone and writing style to reach out to foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress.

Based on a document sent by Rubio’s office to State Department staff, U.S. officials do not yet know who is behind this identity fraud, but they believe the perpetrator likely aimed to disrupt senior government officials in order to gain access to sensitive information.

The document, dated July 3, notes that the fraudster used the Signal messaging app (widely used by the Trump administration) to contact three foreign ministers, one U.S. governor, and one U.S. congressman.

It states that the impersonation began in mid-June, when the fraudster created a Signal account using the spoofed address “Marco.Rubio@state.gov” to contact both domestic and foreign diplomats and politicians.

The document also says: “This actor left at least two voice messages on Signal and, in one instance, sent a text message inviting the recipient to connect via Signal.”

Other U.S. State Department personnel have reportedly also been targeted with fake email identities.

In response to questions about the document, the State Department said: “A full investigation is underway, and protective measures will continue to be implemented to prevent future incidents.”

According to The Washington Post, officials have declined to discuss the content of the messages or reveal the names of the diplomats and officials who were targeted.