AI Impostor Targets Global Leaders in Sophisticated Scam Posing as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. – July 8, 2025

A chilling new chapter in cyber deception unfolded as an unknown actor leveraged artificial intelligence to impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targeting high-ranking officials in a brazen attempt to extract sensitive information. According to a State Department cable dated July 3, the impostor used AI-generated voice messages and texts to contact at least five prominent figures, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress, via the encrypted messaging app Signal. The incident, first reported by The Washington Post, has sparked alarm over the growing threat of AI-driven manipulation in global politics.

The scam began in mid-June when the perpetrator created a Signal account with the display name “marco.rubio@state.gov,” mimicking an official State Department email. The impostor left voicemails for at least two targets and sent a text inviting further communication, aiming to “gain access to information or accounts,” the cable stated. While the attacks were described as “not very sophisticated” by one U.S. official, the campaign’s use of AI to replicate Rubio’s voice and writing style demonstrated a troubling level of precision. Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert at UC Berkeley, noted that such attacks require only 15-20 seconds of audio to generate convincing deepfakes, a task made easy by Rubio’s public profile.

This is not the first AI-driven impersonation targeting the Trump administration. In May, a similar scheme impersonated White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, with fraudulent calls and texts sent to senators, governors, and business executives. Additionally, a separate Russia-linked phishing campaign in April targeted think tank scholars, Eastern European activists, and former officials using spoofed State Department emails, highlighting a pattern of escalating cyber threats. Industry partners attributed that attack to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, though the Rubio scam’s perpetrator remains unidentified.

The State Department has launched an investigation, urging employees to report impersonation attempts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and directing external victims to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. “The department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve its cybersecurity posture,” a spokesperson said, declining further comment due to the ongoing probe. While no direct cyber threat to the department was reported, the cable warned that compromised individuals could expose sensitive data shared with third parties.

The incident follows a springtime deepfake video falsely depicting Rubio advocating to cut Ukraine’s access to Starlink, a claim debunked by Kyiv. Experts like Siwei Lyu, a computer scientist at the University at Buffalo, warn that the rapid improvement of AI deception tools is outpacing detection efforts, fueling a technological arms race. David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Obama, called the Rubio scam “only a matter of time” on X, urging urgent action to counter such threats.

As AI impersonation rises, the Rubio controversy underscores the vulnerability of even the most secure communication channels. With the FBI and State Department on high alert, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for heightened cybersecurity vigilance in an era where voices—and trust—can be easily fabricated.

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