Credited from: CHANNELNEWSASIA
The FBI is investigating an incident involving an unknown individual allegedly impersonating White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Reports indicate that this impersonator has contacted prominent Republican senators, governors, and business executives using Wiles' personal cellphone contacts, according to HuffPost, Channel News Asia, and CBS News.
The impersonation scheme reportedly involved the use of artificial intelligence to mimic Wiles' voice during phone calls, leading some victims to initially believe they were communicating with her, as reported by BBC and AA. Wiles communicated to close associates that her personal cell phone was compromised, which permitted the impersonator access to sensitive contacts.
This incident is not the first cybersecurity breach involving Wiles; she was previously targeted by hackers affiliated with Iran during the 2024 presidential campaign, as noted by Newsweek and ABC News. The impersonator was said to send suspicious messages requesting sensitive information, including lists of individuals for presidential pardons.
In response to the unfolding situation, FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized, "The FBI takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness," indicating the gravity of the incident and the ongoing investigation into these impersonation attempts, according to Al Jazeera and India Times.