The US Department of State said it was investigating fraudsters who used artificial intelligence to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and used three foreign ministers.
According to the State Department Cable, obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS News, the “unknown actor” allegedly contacted officials via a signal messaging app using artificially generated Rubio's voice.
Cable said the person contacted at least five individuals, including a foreign minister, the US governor and members of Congress.
The State Department said it is aware of the incident and is taking steps to improve cybersecurity defenses.
The incident was first revealed on the State Department Cable on July 3rd and sent to “all diplomacy and consulate posts,” CBS News reported.
Cable said the incorrect signal account was displayed in mid-June. At least five people have been contacted for that account.
“The actor left a voicemail with signals from at least two targeted individuals, and in one instance, he sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate the signal,” Cable reported by CBS.
Cable did not identify any individuals contacted or the voices generated by Rubio's AI said in these voicemails.
“There is no direct cyber threat from this campaign to the department, but if targeted individuals compromise, information shared with third parties could be made public,” Cable said.
In a statement, the State Department said it was investigating the issue. “We will take steps to improve the department's cybersecurity attitude to prevent future incidents,” he added.
The incident was first reported by the Washington Post Tuesday. The newspaper reported that U.S. authorities don't know who is behind the impersonation, but believes their goal is to manipulate strong government officials and access information.
The Associated Press said the hoax failed and “not very refined” citing a US official who spoke anonymously.
Secretary of State Rubio has not commented on the incident.
AI technology has been used in the past to impersonate American politicians.
Last year, a fake robocall claiming it came from former President Joe Biden, urged voters to skip the New Hampshire primary ahead of the 2024 US election.
New Hampshire officials said they were investigating the issue at the time, saying that the phone was “seemingly an illegal attempt.”
