WP: Unidentified man used AI to impersonate Rubio in communications with top officials

An impostor posing as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted high-ranking officials by sending them voice and text messages imitating the voice and style of the head of U.S. diplomacy using artificial intelligence software. This was reported by the newspaper The Washington Post with reference to an unnamed American official and a State Department cable.

U.S. authorities do not know who is behind the series of impersonation attempts, but they believe the perpetrator is likely trying to manipulate influential government officials "to gain access to information or accounts," according to a cable sent by Rubio's office to State Department officials.

Using both text messaging and the encrypted messaging app Signal, the imposter "contacted at least five non-Department of State individuals, including three foreign ministers, a governor, and a member of the U.S. Congress," the July 3 cable said.

It began in mid-June, when the imposter created an account on Signal using the displayed name Marco.Rubio@state.gov to contact foreign and American diplomats and politicians, the document says. The displayed name is not his real email address.

"The attacker left voice messages on Signal to at least two targeted individuals, and in one case sent a text message inviting them to communicate on Signal," the telegram says.

When asked about the cables, the State Department said it would "conduct a thorough investigation and continue to take precautions to prevent this from happening in the future." Officials declined to discuss the content of the messages or the names of the diplomats and officials targeted.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation also refused to comment on the imposter. Under U.S. law, it is a crime to impersonate a federal officer or employee with the intent to defraud or obtain information.

Hani Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in digital forensics, said that an operation of this nature does not require a sophisticated actor, but they are often successful because government officials can be careless about data security.

"This is why Signal or other unsecured channels should not be used for official government business," he said.

• On June 8, 2024, it was reported that the then Foreign Minister of Britain Cameron held a video call with a prankster posing as the fifth President Poroshenko.