On Thursday, the FBI reported that a malicious actor is employing text and audio messages created by AI to impersonate U.S. officials, aiming to gain access to the personal accounts of state and federal employees.
This access could allow the perpetrator to pursue additional governmental employees or their networks, potentially enabling them to withdraw sensitive information or funds.
However, details regarding how many individuals received these messages, or whether the culprits are driven by financial gain or are part of a national campaign, remain unclear.
The FBI noted that many of the targeted individuals are currently serving or have served as federal or state officials, along with their associates.
According to the FBI, the messages aim to build trust with recipients before sharing a link that claims to move the dialogue to another messaging platform. These links often lead to hacker-operated websites that can capture login details, including usernames and passwords.
In a public service announcement from December 2024, the FBI had previously warned that criminals were leveraging artificial intelligence to create text, images, audio, and video for illicit purposes, including fraud.
