Hackers have been using AI-made voice messages to impersonate senior US officials, FBI warns

By Sean Lyngaas, CNN

(CNN) — Hackers have been using AI-generated voice messages to impersonate senior US government officials in an ongoing effort to break into the online accounts of current and former US officials, the FBI warned Thursday.

The hackers, who the FBI did not identify, have since April sent text and voice message to targets, including federal and state officials, to try to cultivate a rapport with them, the bureau’s public advisory said.

The FBI is concerned about the potential ripple effect: Access to government or personal accounts could be used to target other government officials or their associates and contacts, it warned. The hackers could use the information they steal to “to impersonate contacts to elicit information or funds,” the FBI said.

It’s unclear what the end goal of the hacking effort is or who is behind it. CNN has requested comment from an FBI spokesperson.

Cheap and ubiquitous AI tools have made it far easier for scammers and spies to impersonate the friends, relatives and colleagues of just about anyone. And once they have hacked into an email or social media account, they can effectively take over the target’s identity.

During the 2024 US presidential election, Russian operatives pumped out AI-generated videos on social media to target American voters with false information about voter fraud, according to US intelligence agencies.

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