FBI says \u2018ongoing\u2019 deepfake impersonation of U.S. gov officials dates back to 2023 | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The update also includes new details around the specific tactics and talking points impersonators use to ensnare victims.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-us-officials-dates-back-to-2023\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FBI says \u2018ongoing\u2019 deepfake impersonation of U.S. gov officials dates back to 2023\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The update also includes new details around the specific tactics and talking points impersonators use to ensnare victims.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-us-officials-dates-back-to-2023\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" 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readability=\"34.39205955335\">\n<p> The update also includes new details around the specific tactics and talking points impersonators use to ensnare victims. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/87223\/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\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023.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\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg 8660w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> (Getty Images) <\/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=\"34.354522890237\"><body readability=\"69.842517117705\"><\/p>\n<p>The FBI said that unknown actors have continued to deploy AI voice cloning tools in an ongoing effort to impersonate U.S government officials and extract sensitive or classified information or conduct scams.<\/p>\n<p>The bureau <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fbi-warns-of-ai-deepfake-phishing-impersonating-government-officials\/\">initially warned<\/a> back in May that the campaign had been ongoing since at least April 2025. In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/PSA\/2025\/PSA251219\">update<\/a> Friday, they revised that initial timeline and said there was evidence of such activity dating back to 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cActivity dating back to 2023 reveals malicious actors have impersonated senior U.S. state government, White House, and Cabinet level officials, as well as members of Congress to target individuals, including officials\u2019 family members and personal acquaintances,\u201d the FBI said in a public service announcement.<\/p>\n<p>These communications include the use of encrypted apps like Signal and AI-powered voice cloning tools to trick victims into believing they\u2019re speaking with high-level government officials, who have regularly used Signal to discuss government business under the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI\u2019s updated timeline would mean that such impersonation efforts may have stretched back to the Biden administration, though the bureau does not specify how many individuals, groups or actors may have been involved over the years.<\/p>\n<p>The update also includes new details around the specific tactics and talking points the impersonators use to ensnare victims.<\/p>\n<p>After starting off by engaging the victim through SMS texting, introducing themselves and suggesting that due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, they move to encrypted messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp, as well as messaging apps like Telegram.<\/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>Once there, the fake government official will engage the victim on a topic they are known to be well-versed in, then propose scheduling a meeting between them and President Trump or another high-ranking government official, or float the possibility of nomination to a company\u2019s board of directors.<\/p>\n<p>That sets up the victim for requests for more sensitive personal data under the guise of vetting, like passport photos, requests to sync their device with the victim\u2019s phone contact list, requests for the victim to broker introductions between associates or wiring funds overseas.<\/p>\n<p>The bureau notes in footnote that access to the targeted individual\u2019s contact list is used \u201cto enable further impersonation efforts or targeting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce actors have access to the victim\u2019s contact list, they send out another round of smishing or vishing messages, this time impersonating the last victim or another notable figure the new targeted individual would logically come in contact with,\u201d the announcement stated.<\/p>\n<p>In July, the State Department<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/08\/us\/politics\/rubio-ai-impersonation-investigation.html\"> sent a cable<\/a> to diplomats warning that someone was using AI audio tools and text messages to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Under the Biden administration in 2024, a deepfake video of former State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/31\/us\/politics\/deepfake-us-official-russia.html\"> popped up online<\/a> appearing to suggest that Russian cities were legitimate targets for Ukraine\u2019s military.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.5197132616487\">\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\/12\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023-1.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":8217,"date":"2025-12-19T14:46:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T20:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=87223"},"modified":"2025-12-19T14:46:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T20:46:28","slug":"fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/12\/19\/fbi-says-ongoing-deepfake-impersonation-of-u-s-gov-officials-dates-back-to-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI says \u2018ongoing\u2019 deepfake impersonation of U.S. gov officials dates back to 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"