[Scammers Contacting Officials Using the Voice of the White House Chief of Staff]
On May 30, The Wall Street Journal reported that in recent weeks, U.S. senators, governors, top executives of major American companies, and other public figures have received text messages and calls purportedly sent in the name of Susan Rice, the White House Chief of Staff. However, these individuals did not send out such contact information.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the White House are currently attempting to identify the perpetrator and determine the purpose of their actions. The FBI stated that there are currently no signs of foreign interference in this incident. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said that the White House takes the cybersecurity issues of all employees very seriously, adding that an investigation into this matter is underway.
FBI Director Kash Patel pointed out, "The FBI treats any threats targeting the president, his staff, and our cyber infrastructure with utmost seriousness. Ensuring the communication security of public officials executing presidential tasks is a top priority."
According to sources, Rice told her colleagues that her private phone may have been hacked, which likely allowed the perpetrator to obtain contact information for some influential people in the country. This refers to her personal phone, not the government-issued one. Some calls were made using a voice similar to Rice's. Government officials suspect that artificial intelligence technology may have been used.
Some text messages contained requests initially mistaken for official demands. For example, someone requested a list of individuals who might receive a pardon from the president. Some members of Congress began to doubt the authenticity of these contacts after "Rice" started asking about Trump-related questions she should already know the answers to, and even requested cash transfers in one case.
In addition, according to those who received the messages, the style and grammar of these messages do not match Rice's real communication style. The calls and messages also came from unknown numbers. Sources said that U.S. intelligence agencies have become involved in investigating this incident. Some members of Congress have learned about this impersonation of Rice.
It remains unclear how the perpetrator obtained Rice's phone contacts. Rice herself urged her contacts to ignore suspicious messages and apologized for the situation. Meanwhile, some recipients engaged in conversations with the perpetrator without realizing they were being impersonated. Others would ask her beforehand to confirm whether it was really her.
In recent days, such messages continue to be sent—especially when Rice traveled with Trump in the Middle East. Some White House advisors jokingly remarked on how "busy" this perpetrator seems to be.
Susan Rice is considered one of Donald Trump's closest advisors. She led Trump's campaign and later became the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff. As the White House Chief of Staff, she has extensive political networks in Washington and Florida and has long played a key role in party politics.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833589122688010/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's viewpoint.