FBI Warns of AI-Generated Voice Phishing Campaign Targeting U.S. Government Officials
The FBI warned of an ongoing phishing campaign using AI-generated voice messages to impersonate senior U.S. government officials and gain access to their personal accounts. The campaign reportedly resulted in the compromise of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles's phone, with impersonators using her stolen contacts to reach senators, governors, and business executives.
What happened
The FBI warned in May 2025 of an ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaign that began in April, in which actors used AI-generated audio to impersonate senior U.S. government officials in phishing attempts.
The campaign primarily targeted current or former senior U.S. federal and state government officials and their contacts, seeking to gain access to personal accounts. In late May, an impersonator reportedly breached the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and used her stolen contacts to impersonate her in calls and messages to senators, governors, and business executives.
Reported impact
The FBI stated that access to personal or official accounts of U.S. officials could be used to target other government officials or their associates, and that contact information obtained through social engineering could be used for further impersonation or to elicit information or funds.
As chief of staff with the highest security clearance available, Wiles's account compromise potentially exposed sensitive government access and contact networks.
Index analysis
The campaign represents a shift in the use of deepfake and voice-cloning technology from high-profile incidents like the 2024 Biden robocall to more targeted espionage and social engineering against government officials.
Governance controls
The FBI advised the public not to assume messages claiming to be from senior officials are authentic, and recommended standard security practices such as verifying identities through official numbers and using multifactor authentication.
The FBI stated it was investigating the matter and said safeguarding officials' ability to securely communicate was a top priority.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.