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Incident 1141: Purported AI Voice Cloning Used to Impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Description: Sometime in mid-June 2025, an unknown actor reportedly used AI voice-cloning and text generation to impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The impostor allegedly contacted at least five high-level officials, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress, via Signal and text messages. The actions reportedly aimed to manipulate targets into sharing sensitive information or account access.
Editor Notes: This incident is a specific variant of Incident 1077. See also Incident 1085. For another prominent but unrelated AI incident involving Marco Rubio, see Incident 974.

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Alleged: Unknown voice cloning technology developer and Unknown deepfake technology developer developed an AI system deployed by Unknown actors impersonating Marco Rubio and Unknown actors, which harmed United States Department of State , Officials targeted by impersonator of Marco Rubio , Marco Rubio , Government of the United States and Epistemic integrity.
Alleged implicated AI systems: Unknown voice cloning technology developer , Unknown deepfake technology developer and Signal

Incident Stats

Incident ID
1141
Report Count
23
Incident Date
2025-06-15
Editors
Daniel Atherton

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

Incident Occurrence+7
Marco Rubio Impersonated with Voice AI reached senior government officials
+10
Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and U.S. officials
+3
How a deepfake of Marco Rubio exposed the alarming ease of AI voice scams
Marco Rubio Impersonated with Voice AI reached senior government officials

Marco Rubio Impersonated with Voice AI reached senior government officials

washingtonpost.com

AI scammer posing as Marco Rubio targets officials in growing threat

AI scammer posing as Marco Rubio targets officials in growing threat

theguardian.com

Secretary of State Marco Rubio deepfake warning being followed by Cincinnati AI enthusiasts

Secretary of State Marco Rubio deepfake warning being followed by Cincinnati AI enthusiasts

wlwt.com

Marco Rubio imposter: experts say AI deepfakes of voice and writing styles are 'dangerous escalation'

Marco Rubio imposter: experts say AI deepfakes of voice and writing styles are 'dangerous escalation'

thenationalnews.com

AI Voice Deepfake of Marco Rubio Targets Foreign Diplomats and U.S. Politicians

AI Voice Deepfake of Marco Rubio Targets Foreign Diplomats and U.S. Politicians

nysun.com

Marco Rubio impersonator contacted officials using AI voice deepfakes – computer security experts explain what they are and how to avoid getting fooled

Marco Rubio impersonator contacted officials using AI voice deepfakes – computer security experts explain what they are and how to avoid getting fooled

thehour.com

AI voice deepfake of US Secretary of State triggers global security alert

AI voice deepfake of US Secretary of State triggers global security alert

biometricupdate.com

State Dept. Is Investigating Messages Impersonating Rubio, Official Says

State Dept. Is Investigating Messages Impersonating Rubio, Official Says

nytimes.com

Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and U.S. officials

Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and U.S. officials

npr.org

Had to happen: Deepfake Marco Rubio calling U.S. officials

Had to happen: Deepfake Marco Rubio calling U.S. officials

mindmatters.ai

My Dad Got a Deepfake Scam Call. Marco Rubio Got One, Too.

My Dad Got a Deepfake Scam Call. Marco Rubio Got One, Too.

contrarian.substack.com

Rubio Impersonator Signals Growing Security Threat From Deepfakes

Rubio Impersonator Signals Growing Security Threat From Deepfakes

darkreading.com

Russian actors suspected of AI deepfakes impersonating US State Secretary Marco Rubio

Russian actors suspected of AI deepfakes impersonating US State Secretary Marco Rubio

cybernews.com

AI impostor of Marco Rubio tried tricking global leaders, State Dept warns

AI impostor of Marco Rubio tried tricking global leaders, State Dept warns

economictimes.indiatimes.com

AI impersonator uses Marco Rubio Deepfake to target senior officials

AI impersonator uses Marco Rubio Deepfake to target senior officials

jang.com.pk

From Barack Obama to Emmanuel Macron, global leaders hit by AI and deepfakes

From Barack Obama to Emmanuel Macron, global leaders hit by AI and deepfakes

indianexpress.com

AI impostor poses as Rubio to contact US, foreign officials

AI impostor poses as Rubio to contact US, foreign officials

indiatoday.in

AI-Driven Espionage: Deepfake Rubio Targets U.S. and Foreign Officials

AI-Driven Espionage: Deepfake Rubio Targets U.S. and Foreign Officials

the420.in

The Rising Threat of Deepfake Extortion Schemes

The Rising Threat of Deepfake Extortion Schemes

dentons.com

How a deepfake of Marco Rubio exposed the alarming ease of AI voice scams

How a deepfake of Marco Rubio exposed the alarming ease of AI voice scams

fortune.com

Deepfake criminals impersonate Marco Rubio to uncover government secrets

Deepfake criminals impersonate Marco Rubio to uncover government secrets

malwarebytes.com

Deepfake: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio imitated on Signal

Deepfake: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio imitated on Signal

it-daily.net

Local AI and deepfake expert weighs in on imposter using AI to impersonate Marco Rubio

Local AI and deepfake expert weighs in on imposter using AI to impersonate Marco Rubio

spectrumnews1.com

Marco Rubio Impersonated with Voice AI reached senior government officials
washingtonpost.com · 2025

An impostor pretending to be Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress by sending them voice and text messages that mimic Rubio's voice and writing style using artificial intelligen…

AI scammer posing as Marco Rubio targets officials in growing threat
theguardian.com · 2025

An unknown fraudster has used artificial intelligence to impersonate the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, contacting at least five senior officials.

According to a state department cable first seen by the Washington Post and confirmed by…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio deepfake warning being followed by Cincinnati AI enthusiasts
wlwt.com · 2025

CINCINNATI --- The real U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, met with Israel's prime minister on Monday in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, the State Department said someone using artificial intelligence has been sending scam messages with a v…

Marco Rubio imposter: experts say AI deepfakes of voice and writing styles are 'dangerous escalation'
thenationalnews.com · 2025

Artificial intelligence was used to impersonate the voice of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and place calls to foreign ministers and American officials, the State Department confirmed on Tuesday, raising further concerns over the growing…

AI Voice Deepfake of Marco Rubio Targets Foreign Diplomats and U.S. Politicians
nysun.com · 2025

AIID editor's note: For full access to this article, please visit the original source.

Marco Rubio impersonator contacted officials using AI voice deepfakes – computer security experts explain what they are and how to avoid getting fooled
thehour.com · 2025

(THE CONVERSATION) Someone used artificial intelligence technology to produce a voice clone, or deepfake, of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and used it to leave voice messages for several officials, according to a report in The Washington P…

AI voice deepfake of US Secretary of State triggers global security alert
biometricupdate.com · 2025

In one of the most audacious examples yet of AI-enabled political deception, an individual posing as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used AI deepfake tools to impersonate his voice and writing style in a series of targeted communication…

State Dept. Is Investigating Messages Impersonating Rubio, Official Says
nytimes.com · 2025

The State Department is investigating episodes in which one or more people used artificial intelligence to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio in messages to top foreign diplomats and U.S. officials, according to an official at the a…

Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and U.S. officials
npr.org · 2025

WASHINGTON --- The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using technology driven by artificial intelligence, according to two senior officials and a…

Had to happen: Deepfake Marco Rubio calling U.S. officials
mindmatters.ai · 2025

From Fox News, we learn this morning that an imposter used AI technology to pretend to be U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and communicate with elected and appointed officials. Greg Norman reports,

The mystery individual posing as one o…

My Dad Got a Deepfake Scam Call. Marco Rubio Got One, Too.
contrarian.substack.com · 2025

A few months ago, my father got a phone call and heard a voice he never expected to hear in distress: his grandson's---my son. The voice was rushed, panicked, pleading. There had been a misunderstanding, it said. He'd been arrested. He need…

Rubio Impersonator Signals Growing Security Threat From Deepfakes
darkreading.com · 2025

The case of a threat actor using artificial intelligence (AI) software to pose as Secretary of State Marco Rubio in communications with foreign and domestic diplomats as well as politicians demonstrates the growing sophistication of deepfak…

Russian actors suspected of AI deepfakes impersonating US State Secretary Marco Rubio
cybernews.com · 2025

Russian threat actors are suspected of creating several AI deepfakes of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and then using the AI-generated content to contact at least five foreign ministers and US officials, the State Department warned on Tu…

AI impostor of Marco Rubio tried tricking global leaders, State Dept warns
economictimes.indiatimes.com · 2025

AIID editor's note: For the full version of this report, please visit the original source.

The US State Department has issued a global warning to diplomats after discovering AI-driven attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio. …

AI impersonator uses Marco Rubio Deepfake to target senior officials
jang.com.pk · 2025

A scammer used artificial intelligence for impersonating the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, raising alarms on the tech involvement in politics.

According to the US State Department, the imposter sent fake voice messages and texts, penn…

From Barack Obama to Emmanuel Macron, global leaders hit by AI and deepfakes
indianexpress.com · 2025

AIID editor's note: Please view the original source for the full report.

In the latest deepfake scam using artificial intelligence, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has turned out to be the victim as his impostor sent fake voice messages a…

AI impostor poses as Rubio to contact US, foreign officials
indiatoday.in · 2025

The US State Department has issued a global alert to its embassies and consulates, warning of an emerging AI-driven scam involving the impersonation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in messages targeting senior US and foreign officials.

Ac…

AI-Driven Espionage: Deepfake Rubio Targets U.S. and Foreign Officials
the420.in · 2025

In a disturbing instance of AI misuse, an imposter used an artificially generated voice mimicking U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reach out to three foreign ministers and two American politicians. According to a confidential U.S. Sta…

The Rising Threat of Deepfake Extortion Schemes
dentons.com · 2025

Imagine sitting in your office and you receive a text message from an unknown number. The text includes a screenshot of a purported text message between you and what appears to be an underage girl. The purported text message exchange leaves…

How a deepfake of Marco Rubio exposed the alarming ease of AI voice scams
fortune.com · 2025

An audio deepfake impersonating Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress with AI-generated voicemails mimicking his voice, according to a senior U.S. official and a State Departme…

Deepfake criminals impersonate Marco Rubio to uncover government secrets
malwarebytes.com · 2025

Deepfake attacks aren't just for recruitment and banking fraud; they've now reached the highest levels of government. News emerged this week of an AI-powered attack that impersonated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Authorities don't know…

Deepfake: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio imitated on Signal
it-daily.net · 2025

An unknown individual apparently impersonated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with deceptively real audio and text messages on the messenger Signal. The aim of the campaign was to influence politicians in the USA and abroad. This is an ex…

Local AI and deepfake expert weighs in on imposter using AI to impersonate Marco Rubio
spectrumnews1.com · 2025

The State Department said an impostor posing as Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor.

The scam messages were sent by text, Signal and voice mail.

Michael We…

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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