A person using artificial intelligence impersonated Secretary of State Marco Rubio to contact high-ranking officials, including foreign ministers and a U.S. governor, according to a State Department cable obtained by The Washington Post.
The scam used AI-generated voice messages and messages via the encrypted app Signal, with the impersonator adopting the display name Marco.Rubio@state.gov.
The culprit, whose identity remains unknown, contacted at least five individuals, including three foreign ministers and one member of Congress, as of mid-June. The intent appears to have been to extract sensitive information or gain account access, officials said.
Former Obama adviser David Axelrod responded to the incident on X, warning that AI impersonation is a serious threat to national security. “We’d better figure out how to defend against it,” he wrote.
A Marco Rubio impostor is using AI voice to call high-level officials.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 8, 2025
It was only a matter of time.
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. https://t.co/6SHGSIlGq6
President Donald Trump is expected to meet with cabinet officials later today at 11 a.m. to discuss national security concerns.
