Here’s what happened.
The Trump administration has been hit with a major national security concern after a cyber intruder posing as Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted several high-ranking U.S. officials and foreign dignitaries in what appears to be a highly coordinated digital scheme.
According to a July 3 internal alert, obtained by The Washington Post, the impersonator contacted three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, a member of Congress, and at least two top federal officials. Officials say the goal was likely to steal confidential information or access secure government systems.
Using the encrypted messaging app Signal, the bad actor left voicemails and texts, posing as Rubio with the fake identity “[email protected].” Sources believe the impersonator used artificial intelligence to replicate Rubio’s voice and writing style — a disturbing sign of how advanced these cyber threats have become.
This isn’t an isolated case. In May, another impersonator infiltrated the phone system of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and reached out to business and political leaders. That same month, the FBI warned Americans of a wave of impersonation scams targeting current and former senior U.S. officials.
The FBI stated, “Since April 2025, malicious actors have posed as top U.S. officials to deceive trusted contacts.” The agency urged the public not to trust messages claiming to come from government leaders without verification.
In March, the now-infamous “Signalgate” scandal made headlines when a Signal chat organized by then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz — which included Rubio — accidentally included a mainstream media journalist. The chat involved classified discussions about responding to Iran-backed militants in Yemen.
The State Department confirmed it is investigating the latest breach and warned employees to report all suspicious communications to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
As cyber threats grow more dangerous, and as artificial intelligence makes impersonation easier than ever, the Trump administration’s mission to protect America’s infrastructure and sovereignty remains more urgent than ever.