According to a classified State Department cable, an unidentified actor used AI-generated voice messages and text communications to impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The individual contacted three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress through encrypted messaging apps, using a fake identity designed to resemble Rubio’s official profile.

Some recipients received voicemails generated with Rubio’s synthetic voice, while others were invited to continue the conversation through Signal. The communications were sophisticated enough to prompt serious security concerns, though it remains unclear whether any of the targeted officials responded.

The State Department has launched an investigation and has urged personnel to report any similar impersonation attempts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Part of a Broader Surge in AI-Driven Impersonation

This case adds to a growing trend of artificial intelligence being exploited for high-level impersonation schemes. In May, the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was compromised, enabling attackers to send messages and place calls under her name. The FBI subsequently warned of “ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaigns” targeting senior officials using AI-generated audio.

Cybersecurity experts warn that only a few seconds of recorded speech are needed to clone someone’s voice convincingly. “You just need 15 to 20 seconds of audio,” said digital forensics expert Hany Farid. “Leaving voicemails is particularly effective because it’s not interactive.”

Similar incidents have been reported in Canada and Ukraine, where malicious actors attempted to extract sensitive information or deploy malware by posing as government officials using AI-based voice and text tools.