Alleged attempt to impersonate White House chief of staff under federal investigation
Federal authorities are probing a scheme to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, according to individuals familiar with the issue, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"The White House takes the cybersecurity of all staff very seriously, and this matter continues to be investigated," a White House official noted.
Senators, governors, American business executives and other people have gotten texts and calls from an individual claiming to be Wiles, individuals familiar with the messages noted, according to the outlet.
Who Is Susie Wiles, Trump's White House Chief Of Staff? 5 Things To Know
Fbi officials informed the White House that they do not think another country is involved, some of the people noted, according to the report.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI for comment on Friday morning, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Read On The Fox News App
Trump Chief Of Staff Susie Wiles Once Helped Nfl Broadcast Legend Father Pat Summerall Beat Alcoholism
"The FBI takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness," FBI Director Kash Patel declared in a statement, according to the Journal. "Safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president's mission is a top priority."
The chief of staff informed associates that her phone contacts had been hacked, according to some of the people, the Journal reported. The phone is her personal device, not a government phone, the individuals noted, according to the outlet.
Some calls involved a voice which sounded like the chief of staff, individuals who heard them noted, according to the report. Government officials believe the impostor utilized artificial intelligence to mimic her voice, some of the individuals noted.
Trump Names Susie Wiles As First Female White House Chief Of Staff In History
In some cases involving texts, individuals got requests which they at first thought were official, according to the outlet, which noted that one legislator received a request to develop a list of people who could be pardoned by Trump.
But it became evident to some legislators that the asks were suspect when the impostor started posing questions about the president, for which Wiles should have been privy to the answers — and in one instance, when the impostor requested a cash transfer, some of the people noted, according to the outlet.
In many instances, the impostor used broken grammar and the messages were too formal compared to how Wiles normally communicates, individuals who received the messages noted, according to the outlet. The calls and texts did not emanate from Wiles's phone number, according to the report.Original article source: Alleged attempt to impersonate White House chief of staff under federal investigation
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
18 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Suspect planned to kill all in group he called ‘Zionist,' but appeared to have second thoughts
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A man in Boulder disguised as a gardener who wounded 12 people in an attack on a group holding their weekly demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza had planned to kill them all but appeared to have second thoughts, according to authorities. Mohamed Sabry Soliman had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday's attack in which he yelled 'Free Palestine,' police said. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before,' police wrote in an affidavit. The two incendiary devices he did throw into the group of about 20 people were enough to wound more than half of them, and authorities said he expressed no regrets about the attack. The 45-year-old Soliman — whose first name also was spelled Mohammed in some court documents — planned the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers charging him with a federal hate crime. 'When he was interviewed about the attack, he said he wanted them all to die, he had no regrets and he would go back and do it again,' Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado said during a news conference Monday. Federal and state prosecutors filed separate criminal cases against Soliman, charging him with a hate crime and attempted murder, respectively. He faces additional state charges related to the incendiary devices, and more charges are possible in federal court, where the Justice Department will seek a grand jury indictment. Soliman is being held on a $10 million, cash-only bond, prosecutors said. His next court hearing is set for Thursday. An FBI affidavit says Soliman told the police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people,' a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Soliman's attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after the hearing. Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on the social platform X. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war , which continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Six victims hospitalized The victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88, and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. Six of the injured were taken to hospitals, and four have since been released, said Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organizer connected to the group. She said the clothing of one of those who remains hospitalized caught on fire. Members of the volunteer group called Run For Their Lives were holding their weekly demonstration when the attack happened. Video from the scene captured by witness Alex Osante of San Diego shows people pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught fire during the attack. Molotov cocktails found Osante said that after the suspect threw the two incendiary devices, apparently catching himself on fire as he threw the second, he took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video Osante filmed. The Molotov cocktails were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them, the FBI said. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. He had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself 'because he had planned on dying.' Soliman also told investigators he took a concealed carry class and tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal U.S. citizen. Suspect hospitalized after attack Authorities said they believe Soliman acted alone. He was also injured and taken to a hospital. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved three years ago to Colorado Springs, where he lived with his wife and five kids, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not respond to requests for additional information. ___ Tucker reported from Washington. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
Romanian national, 26, pleads guilty to ‘swatting' over 75 public officials, including a former US president
A Romanian national pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to his role in a 'swatting' ring that targeted dozens of public officials, including a former US president. Going by the aliases 'Plank,' 'Jonah' and 'Cypher,' 26-year-old Thomasz Szabo took part in a years-long conspiracy to place bogus 911 calls, claiming emergencies were taking place at the homes of top government officials, and make bomb threats against government buildings and houses of worship, according to Justice Department. Szabo and a co-conspirator, 21-year-old Serbian national Nemanja Radovanovic, allegedly targeted about 100 people, including members of Congress, governors, cabinet-level executive branch officials and state officials. 3 A Romanian national pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to his role in a 'swatting' ring that targeted dozens of public officials, including a former US president. REUTERS One of their alleged victims is identified as a 'former elected official from the executive branch' who was swatted on Jan. 9. 2024, when Radovanovic falsely reported a murder at the home of the former president or vice president – who is not named in the indictment – and threatened to blow up the person's residence. Several of the victims were selected by Szabo, who directed Radovanovic to place the emergency calls targeting both Republicans and Democrats, according to the indictment. 'We are not on any side,' Szabo allegedly told Radovanovic. The menacing calls started around December 2020, when Szabo called a crisis intervention hotline and threatened to 'commit a mass shooting at multiple unspecified synagogues in New York City,' the indictment states. Around Jan. 17, 2021, Szabo allegedly called another crisis intervention hotline and threatened to detonate explosives at the US Capitol Building and kill then-President-elect Joe Biden. 3 Interim Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro (L) and US Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) look on as US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 28, 2025. AFP via Getty Images The duo's last 'swatting' call listed in the indictment was placed by Radovanovic on Jan. 9, 2024, which reported a homicide at the home of a state governor. Szabo, who was extradited from Romania last November, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of making bomb threats. He is slated to be sentenced in a Washington, DC, federal court in October. 3 Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. AP 'This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation's security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. 'This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source.' FBI Director Kash Patel declared that swatting 'will not be tolerated by the FBI.' 'Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,' Patel said in a statement. 'Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI.' 'We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence.' Charges against Radovanovic are still pending.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Trump wants Senate to return ‘Big Beautiful Bill' to his desk before July 4
President Donald Trump stated in a post to Truth Social: 'Passing THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL is a Historic Opportunity to turn our Country around after four disastrous years under Joe Biden. We will take a massive step to balancing our Budget by enacting the largest mandatory Spending Cut, EVER, and Americans will get to keep more of their money with the largest Tax Cut, EVER, and no longer taxing Tips, Overtime, or Social Security for Seniors – Something 80 Million Voters supported in November. It will unleash American Energy by expediting permitting for Energy, and refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It will make American Air Travel GREAT AGAIN by purchasing the final Air Traffic Control System. We will secure our skies from our adversaries by building The Golden Dome, and secure our Border by building more of our Wall, and supercharging the deportation of the millions of Criminal Illegals Joe Biden allowed to walk right into our Country. It will kick millions of Illegals off Medicaid, and make sure SNAP is focused on Americans ONLY! It will also restore Choice and Affordability for Car purchases by REPEALING Biden's EV Mandate, and all of the GREEN NEW SCAM Tax Credits and Spending. THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL also protects our beautiful children by stopping funding for sick sex changes for minors. With the Senate coming back to Washington today, I call on all of my Republican friends in the Senate and House to work as fast as they can to get this Bill to MY DESK before the Fourth of JULY. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'
