During a House Subcommittee hearing on May 7, 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel addressed concerns regarding the increasing use of artificial intelligence by malicious actors to impersonate senior U.S. officials. The FBI issued a warning about "smishing" and "vishing" scams, which involve sending fraudulent text and AI-generated voice messages that claim to originate from government officials. These scams aim to build rapport with targets in order to gain access to personal or government accounts.
The FBI advised recipients of such messages to verify their authenticity before taking any action. The agency detailed how scammers might use malicious links to redirect victims to separate messaging platforms, thereby facilitating access to sensitive information. The announcement noted that many of the targets are current or former senior federal or state officials and their contacts, although specific individuals were not named.
The FBI emphasized the potential risks associated with these schemes, including the ability of scammers to use stolen information to impersonate contacts and extract further information or funds. This warning aligns with broader concerns regarding the exploitation of generative AI in cybercrime, as such technology has been linked to various financial fraud schemes.
In its previous reports, the FBI highlighted that phishing, extortion, and data breaches were among the top cyber crimes in 2024, with older individuals being particularly affected, suffering losses nearing $5 billion. The agency has continued to monitor and address the evolving landscape of cyber threats, recognizing the increasing sophistication of tactics employed by cybercriminals.