Since April 2025, malicious actors have been impersonating senior US officials to target individuals, particularly current and former federal and state government officials and their contacts.
Details
The fraudsters are using text messages and AI-generated voice messages, known as smishing and vishing, to establish a false sense of rapport before attempting to access personal accounts.
One common tactic involves sending a malicious link disguised as a request to transition to a different messaging platform.
If successful, these actors could gain access to personal or official accounts, potentially targeting other government officials or their associates using the trusted contact information obtained.
Protection Tips
- Be cautious when receiving messages from unknown sources and verify the sender’s identity directly before engaging.
- Do not click on any suspicious links.
- Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, such as distorted hands or feet, unrealistic facial features, indistinct or irregular faces, unrealistic accessories such as glasses or jewelry.
- Listen closely to the tone and word choice to distinguish between a legitimate phone call or voice message from a known contact and one generated by AI voice cloning, as they can sound nearly identical.
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