WASHINGTON D.C. – July 8, 2025 – The U.S. State Department has issued a global warning to diplomats and foreign officials regarding a sophisticated impersonation scheme leveraging artificial intelligence to mimic the voice and communication style of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The incident, revealed in a July 3 cable, highlights escalating concerns over the misuse of AI technology to deceive high-level government figures.
An imposter, whose identity remains unknown, attempted to contact at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator, and a governor. The fraudulent communications were sent via text, Signal messaging app, and voice mail, with the caller’s voice strikingly similar to Secretary Rubio’s. According to a report by The Washington Post, the imposter created a Signal account in mid-June using the display name “marco.rubio@state.gov.”
While officials indicated the hoaxes were “not very sophisticated” and ultimately unsuccessful in gaining sensitive information, the State Department deemed it “prudent” to advise all employees and external partners. The cable noted, “There is no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign, but information shared with a third party could be exposed if targeted individuals are compromised.”
This incident marks the second known AI-driven impersonation targeting a high-level Trump administration official this year. In May, a similar scheme involved an imposter mimicking President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, which prompted an FBI investigation. The FBI has also issued a public service announcement this past spring, warning of a “malicious text and voice messaging campaign” impersonating senior U.S. government officials.
Experts in digital forensics, such as Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, have commented on the increasing realism of AI-generated fakes. “You just need 15 to 20 seconds of audio of the person, which is easy in Marco Rubio’s case. You upload it to any number of services, click a button that says ‘I have permission to use this person’s voice,’ and then you type what you want him to say,” Farid stated.
As AI impersonation gets better and easier to use, it’s a serious threat to digital talks. Everyone needs to be careful to protect themselves from these clever tricks.
Sources:
Hany Farid. (Quote from various news reports citing his analysis, including those listed above).
Engadget. (2025, July 8). “Marco Rubio’s AI imposter has been contacting senior government officials.” Retrieved from https://www.engadget.com/ai/marco-rubios-ai-imposter-has-been-contacting-senior-government-officials-153436657.html
Star Tribune. (2025, July 8). “Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and US officials.” Retrieved from https://www.startribune.com/impostor-uses-ai-to-impersonate-rubio-and-contact-foreign-and-us-officials/601402612
Times of India. (2025, July 8). “‘Fake’ Marco Rubio used AI voice to call foreign ministers and other politicians as US Secretary of State.” Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/fake-marco-rubio-used-ai-voice-to-call-foreign-ministers-and-other-politicians-as-us-secretary-of-state/articleshow/122325104.cms
WPLG Local 10. (2025, July 8). “Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and US officials.” Retrieved from https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2025/07/08/impostor-uses-ai-to-impersonate-rubio-and-contact-foreign-and-us-officials/
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