WASHINGTON, July 9, (Bernama-dpa) — Someone impersonating the United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio using artificial intelligence (AI), the Washington Post reported, had contacted foreign ministers, a member of Congress and a US governor, by sending messages impersonating Rubio’s voice and writing style, reported the German Press Agency (dpa).
In a story published on Tuesday, the Washington Post attributed its information about the scheme to a senior US official and a State Department cable from last Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the department said in response to journalists’ inquiries that the matter was being investigated, but refused to confirm what happened, citing the ongoing investigation.
It remains unclear how significant the damage is and whether sensitive information was exchanged.
The manipulator used both text messages and the encrypted messaging app Signal, which the administration uses extensively, the paper reported. The AI tool mimicked Rubio’s voice and writing style, the story said.
The impersonator created a Signal account with the name – which is not Rubio’s real email address, the Washington Post reported.
The fraud is believed to have started in mid-June, and the Washington Post said other State Department personnel were also impersonated using email but did not elaborate.
–BERNAMA-dpa