AI fraudster impersonates US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targets senior officials
An unknown scammer used AI to mimic Marco Rubio’s voice and texting style, hitting up at least five senior officials. Targets included three foreign ministers, a US governor, and a lawmaker.
The fake Rubio left voicemails on Signal for at least two people and invited others to chat on the platform, according to a State Department cable dated July 3. The impersonator created the account in mid-June, echoing May’s similar AI impersonation attempts targeting White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and others. 
The stated aim: "gaining access to information or accounts" of powerful government figures. The State Department is actively investigating but remains tight-lipped.
A senior official said:
“The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter.”
“The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents. For security reasons, and due to our ongoing investigation, we are not in a position to offer further details at this time.”
David Axelrod, former Obama adviser, warned this was inevitable and demands action. He posted on X:
“A Marco Rubio impostor is using AI voice to call high-level officials.”
“This is the new world in which we live and we’d better figure out how to defend against it because of its implications for our democracy and the world.”
AI scams impersonating government officials are ticking up. This latest Rubio case underscores the growing risks for top-tier targets. The State Department’s probe is ongoing, and cybersecurity measures are under scrutiny.
