FBI investigating efforts to impersonate WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
'Outnumbered' panelists discuss reports of 'malicious actors' impersonating White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and the wider issue of increasing scam attempts using artificial intelligence.
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.
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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles attends a meeting and press availability with U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office at the White House on May 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
FBI officials informed the White House that they do not think another country is involved, some of the people noted, according to the report.
"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. "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.
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President Donald Trump, right, with his Chief of Staff Susan Wiles as they meet with ambassador nominees in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on March 25, 2025. (John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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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.
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