The scam uses AI-generated audio to impersonate well-known, public figures or personal relationships to convince targets of the authenticity. (Matt Durr | MLive.com)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning of a new scam involving malicious text and voice messages. The messages are being sent by someone impersonating senior U.S officials and target current or former senior U.S. federal or state government officials and their contacts.
The scam appears to have been ongoing since last month and is sophisticated enough that the FBI issued a warning last week.
“If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic,” the warning reads.
The scammers are using text messages and AI-generated voice messages to try to convince the target that they are the real person. The scammers hope to gain access to personal accounts by impersonating the known official. As part of the scam, the text will include a malicious link under the guise of transitioning to a separate messaging platform.
Related story: FBI says iPhone, Android users need to delete these texts ASAP
The hyperlink will often lead to a login page designed to steal login information.
“Access to personal or official accounts operated by US officials could be used to target other government officials, or their associates and contacts, by using trusted contact information they obtain. Contact information acquired through social engineering schemes could also be used to impersonate contacts to elicit information or funds,” the warning reads.
If you receive a text or voice message that appears to be fake, the FBI says you should take the following actions to verify its authenticity:
For this scam or others, the FBI says you can take the following steps to protect yourself from fraud:
If you or someone you know believes they have been a target of this scam or others, the FBI encourages you to report any incident to your local FBI Field Office or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
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