Washington, D.C. — May 16, 2025 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a public warning on Thursday regarding the use of artificial intelligence in an emerging scheme involving the impersonation of high-ranking U.S. officials through AI-generated voice recordings. The fraudulent messages, which target both current and former government officials as well as their contacts, are part of a broader trend of sophisticated social engineering attacks.
In its statement, the FBI cautioned individuals not to assume the authenticity of any message that claims to be from a senior U.S. official without independent verification.
“If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic,” the Bureau said.
The agency described the perpetrators as “malicious actors” who are exploiting advanced AI tools to generate lifelike audio mimicking the voices of prominent government figures. These fabricated voice memos are reportedly being used to gain access to sensitive information, manipulate recipients, or lend false credibility to fraudulent communications.
The FBI did not disclose which officials have been impersonated or the specific contents of the messages, but emphasized that the technology used is convincing enough to deceive even well-informed individuals.
This warning underscores growing national security concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence to undermine trust, manipulate public perception, and compromise secure communications. It follows broader calls for regulation and increased public awareness around deepfakes and generative AI technologies.
The FBI advises individuals to verify any suspicious communications through official channels and to report incidents to the Bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or their local FBI field office.
What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Message:
- Do not respond or share any personal information.
- Verify the sender’s identity through known and official contact methods.
- Report the incident immediately to the FBI or relevant authorities.
As the capabilities of AI tools continue to evolve, federal agencies are urging vigilance and cooperation from both public officials and private citizens to help identify and combat emerging digital threats.
Fbi Chief Kash Patel on Wikimedia by Gage Skidmore
