The U.S. State Department is investigating a hoaxer who used AI to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targeting foreign officials and U.S. leaders.
 |
| A hoaxer used AI to impersonate Marco Rubio, sending fraudulent messages to U.S. and foreign officials. The incident highlights the growing cybersecurity risks. CH |
Washington D.C., USA, July 9, 2025:
The U.S. State Department is on high alert after an imposter used artificial intelligence to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attempting to mislead both U.S. and foreign officials. According to multiple media outlets, internal State Department memos confirmed the breach, which involved AI-generated voice and text messages designed to closely mimic Rubio’s signature style.
The hoaxer sent these AI-crafted messages to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator, and a governor. The messages were delivered through the encrypted messaging platform Signal, with the imposter registering an account under the fake email address “marco.rubio@state.gov.” The outreach began in mid-June.
A U.S. official told The Associated Press that while the messages were “not very sophisticated” and ultimately unsuccessful, the incident raised concerns. “There is no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign, but there is a risk that sensitive information could be exposed if the targeted individuals are compromised,” said the official. The State Department later issued a memo to U.S. embassies detailing the issue, as cited by AP.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed the hoax on Tuesday, explaining that the department is "monitoring and addressing the situation." She assured the public that the State Department takes the protection of sensitive information seriously and continues to strengthen its cybersecurity measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The hoax follows a prior warning from the FBI issued in May about “malicious actors” utilizing AI-generated voice messages to impersonate senior U.S. officials. That alert was prompted by an earlier incident in which hackers gained access to the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, sending fraudulent calls and messages to her contacts.
This case has added urgency to the growing concerns over the use of AI for cybercrime, highlighting the need for advanced security protocols in both government and private sectors.