FBI warns of fake texts, deepfake calls impersonating senior U.S. officials | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The FB has warned of a new AI deepfake phishing campaign where attackers impersonate senior government officials using texts and voice messages to steal account access.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fbi-warns-of-ai-deepfake-phishing-impersonating-government-officials\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FBI warns of fake texts, deepfake calls impersonating senior U.S. officials\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The FB has warned of a new AI deepfake phishing campaign where attackers impersonate senior government officials using texts and voice messages to steal account access.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" 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href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fbi-warns-of-ai-deepfake-phishing-impersonating-government-officials\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--event js-stickybar\">\n<div class=\"stickybar__details\" readability=\"4.9180327868852\">\n<div class=\"stickybar__info js-sticky-bar-content\" readability=\"32\">\n<p>Voting is open for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <a class=\"stickybar__link button button-tertiary\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cyberscoop50\/\">Click here!<\/a> <\/div>\n<p> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.607142857143\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.944444444444\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fbi-warns-of-ai-deepfake-phishing-impersonating-government-officials\/\"> <span>Government<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Texts or deepfaked audio messages impersonate high-level government officials and were sent to current or former senior federal or state government officials and their contacts, the bureau says. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/84545\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg 2121w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> Speech bubble on smartphone screen. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"22.786374133949\"><body readability=\"45.741185897436\"><\/p>\n<p>The FBI said Thursday that malicious actors have been impersonating senior U.S. government officials in a text and voice messaging campaign, using phishing texts and AI-generated audio to trick other government officials into giving up access to their personal accounts.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/PSA\/2025\/PSA250515\">warning<\/a> provided few details about the campaign, which started in April and appears to be ongoing. The messages have come in the form of either texts or deepfaked audio messages of senior U.S. officials and were primarily sent to \u201ccurrent or former senior U.S. federal or state government officials and their contacts\u201d to gain access to their accounts.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI is now advising the public that \u201cif you receive a message claiming to be from a senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is the latest example of malicious actors using AI and deepfake techniques to realistically mimic the voice and likeness of others. As large language models have proliferated and improved their abilities to create lifelike video and audio images, their use in phishing schemes and scam campaigns has exploded.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Perhaps the most well-known use of the technology thus far has been the <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/biden-new-hampshire-robo-call-deepfake\/\">deepfake impersonation of then-President Joe Biden<\/a> in the lead-up to the New Hampshire presidential primary in 2024. Political consultant Steve Kramer, working with Democratic primary challenger Dean Phillips, oversaw the creation of the audio, which advised Democrats not to go to the polls and was sent to voters days before the primary.<\/p>\n<p>Kramer was <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fcc-fine-joe-biden-deepfake-new-hampshire-robocall-steve-kramer\/\">fined $6 million by the FCC<\/a> for the incident and is <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/ai-robocall-steve-kramer-criminal-charges\/\">facing criminal charges<\/a> for attempted voter suppression by falsely impersonating a candidate in New Hampshire.<\/p>\n<p>But the use of deepfake audio in more routine financial scams and more sophisticated espionage and cybercriminal schemes has risen sharply since the technology emerged.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to the concerns, the apparent targeting of personal accounts in this campaign comes as news outlets have reported that multiple high-ranking members of the Trump administration are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2025\/04\/new-york-times-hegseth-signal-yemen\/\">communicating and coordinating<\/a> U.S. government policy from their personal phones and using <a href=\"https:\/\/micahflee.com\/the-signal-clone-the-trump-admin-uses-was-hacked\/\">insecure third-party versions<\/a> of encrypted messaging apps like Signal.<\/p>\n<p>There are limited protections against exploitation by these technologies, aside from being vigilant and following standard security advice, like not trusting unknown callers, verifying identities by calling the official numbers , and using multifactor authentication to secure accounts.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.6554307116105\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> 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{"id":7645,"date":"2025-05-15T14:21:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T19:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=84545"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:21:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T19:21:12","slug":"fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/05\/15\/fbi-warns-of-fake-texts-deepfake-calls-impersonating-senior-u-s-officials\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI warns of fake texts, deepfake calls impersonating senior U.S. officials"},"content":{"rendered":"