An imposter using an artificially generated voice impersonated Secretary of State Marco Rubio in communications with three foreign ministers and two US politicians, according to a State Department cable reviewed by Reuters.
The cable, dated July 3 and distributed to all diplomatic and consular posts, describes how the impersonator contacted the targets in mid-June using the encrypted messaging app Signal. In two cases, voicemails were left, and in another, a text message urged the recipient to continue the conversation on the platform.
According to the cable, “the actor likely aimed to manipulate targeted individuals using AI-generated text and voice messages, with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts.” While the campaign posed no direct cyber threat to the State Department, the document warned that information shared with the impersonator could be compromised.
The cable also mentioned a separate incident in April involving a Russia-linked threat actor. The campaign used spear phishing techniques targeting think tanks, Eastern European activists, and former US officials. The hacker reportedly spoofed a “@state.gov” email address and used official-looking logos from the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Technology.
“The actor demonstrated extensive knowledge of the department’s naming conventions and internal documentation,” the cable said. US cybersecurity experts attributed the April campaign to a threat actor linked to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
