Trump officials targeted in AI impersonation scam, and yep, Signal is involved

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more absurd, The Washington Post and others have revealed that Senator Marco Rubio was targeted in a mid-June 2025 AI impersonation campaign. 

The unknown actor behind this sophisticated manipulation campaign used a synthetic voice and stolen writing style to message at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a U.S. member of Congress via Signal—because why not abuse your “secure” app for AI-powered catfishing? 

The imposter likely aimed to manipulate targeted individuals to access information or accounts. Behind the scenes, the State Department issued a warning on July 3, 2025.

Although sophisticated in its use of AI, the campaign is largely believed to have failed in its objectives, though officials deemed it prudent to notify diplomatic missions of the risk.

Signal: Once again the darling of drama

Signal, the app once vaunted as the gold standard of encrypted messaging, seems to have a gift for controversy. Its core feature—trusting the sender—is what’s being weaponized.

The illusion of safety on Signal starts with a familiar name and that reassuring little padlock icon. It feels secure, like you’re in control. But that trust is now a trap. Advanced AI can flawlessly mimic familiar voices, using hours of podcast chatter and cable news soundbites. What once felt like a secure line is now a weaponized vulnerability.

Oh look, here’s Signalgate version 2.0

Remember the Signal scandal—aka “Signalgate”—when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used the app to text war plans for a Yemen strike in March 2025?

A group chat that inadvertently included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a journalist by mistake became a public embarrassment. Top-secret operational details, including flight schedules and missile packages, were casually dropped into a Signal thread. Oops.

Rubio even chimed in, calling the chat leak “a big mistake.” Adding to the controversy, it was later reported that Hegseth had also shared sensitive Yemen strike details in a separate Signal group chat with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.

Rubio: The unluckiest Signal user rver

So yes, again it’s Rubio. First, he was pulled into a war-planning fiasco via Signal; now he’s impersonated by AI on the same platform. It’s almost poetic: in March 2025, he watched military strike orders get broadcast like a group chat; in June, he became the voice those scammers mimic.

The State Department is investigating; the FBI is issuing public warnings about AI-driven impersonation campaigns. This is the second known AI-driven impersonation targeting a senior Trump administration official, following a similar campaign in May 2025 that impersonated President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

Experts warn more lawmakers and staff will likely have AI voices sliding into their DMs or Signal chats next. Welcome to 2025, when your “secure app” is just Signal—securing scandals and then weaponizing your voice. Good luck hearing the difference.