AI-Generated Voice Scams: A New Threat to U.S. Officials

Malicious actors are impersonating senior U.S. officials using texts and AI-generated voices to access personal accounts of government officials. The aim is to target more officials or gain illicit information. The FBI suspects cybercriminal or state-aligned involvement but lacks specific suspect details.

Malicious actors are deploying sophisticated tactics, including text messages and AI-generated voice simulations, to impersonate U.S. senior officials. The FBI, in a public service announcement, detailed how this digital deception aims to breach personal accounts of state and federal government officials, posing significant national security risks.

The agency has not disclosed the extent of the breach or the identities behind these operations, whether financially-driven cybercriminals or state-backed entities. Particularly targeted are current and former senior government officials along with their networks, highlighting a potential widespread vulnerability.

By initiating contact with seemingly innocuous messages, perpetrators lure officials into communicating on a platform under their control, subsequently stealing sensitive information such as login credentials. The FBI's December alert emphasizes how criminals are leveraging AI for dangerous purposes, including fraud and extortion.

(With inputs from agencies.)