ISTANBUL

A person impersonating US Secretary of State Marco Rubio used artificial intelligence to send voice and text messages to senior political figures, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The impostor contacted at least five individuals, including three foreign ministers, a US state governor, and a member of Congress, using the encrypted messaging app Signal and text messages that mimicked Rubio’s voice and writing style, the report said, citing a State Department cable and a senior US official.

The impersonation campaign began in mid-June when the actor created a Signal account with the display name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov,” though it was not tied to an official email address. According to the cable, the actor left voicemails on Signal and sent messages urging targets to continue the conversation on the platform.

The cable also noted that other State Department personnel were impersonated using email.

The State Department acknowledged the incident, saying it is conducting a “thorough investigation” and is working to strengthen safeguards to prevent future impersonation attempts.

The agency declined to identify which officials were targeted or reveal the content of the messages, according to the Post. The FBI declined to comment on the case.

The incident follows similar cases involving senior US officials. In May, someone reportedly gained access to the phone of White House senior adviser Susie Wiles and contacted senators, governors and business leaders while posing as her, prompting an investigation by the White House and the FBI, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.