The FBI has issued a warning after discovering a deepfake campaign targeting former senior federal or state government officials with deepfakes. The scam uses text messages paired with AI-generated voice messages impersonating US officials that have malicious links attached.
Active since at least April 2025, the scammer, impersonating a US official, sends the victim a malicious link under the guise of shifting to a more “secure” messaging platform. The ultimate goal is to gain access to the target’s personal accounts.
The FBI’s warning states that this access could be used to further target other government officials or their associates and contacts. Any personal contact information stolen during these attacks can also be used to impersonate contacts and extract information or money.
Typically, phishing, smishing (phishing via SMS), and vishing (phishing over voice calls) attacks are used to trick unsuspecting victims into giving up sensitive data via various social engineering tactics. It’s often the first step in a larger data breach or hack, where the attackers need sensitive information to start the breach.
Alternatively, these attacks may also be used to directly deliver malware to a victim. Malicious programs used in such cases are often disguised as PDF files or documents attached to emails or other messaging media. The attachment itself is designed not to set off any alarms, and once opened on the victim’s computer, it downloads the malicious payloads.
At the moment, the FBI recommends verifying the identity of the person calling or sending voice or text messages. If you receive an email, carefully inspect the email address and header for any suspicious signs. Researcher an individual, their contact information, or the organisation they claim to belong to can go a long way in ensuring you don’t fall for a scammer’s tricks.
In the News: DoorDash scam used fake drivers to make deliveries worth $2.59 million
