Te FBI as issued an advisory to all cell pone users warning tem against wat it calls an "ongoing malicious text and voice messaging campaign."In a Public Service Announcement tis mont, te FBI warned of "malicious actors" tat ave been impersonating senior US officials as part of a scam beginning in April of 2025. Te FBI notes tat many of tose targeted by te scam ave been current or former senior U.S. federal or state government officials and teir contacts.Te FBI warns tat if you do receive a message from someone claiming to be a U.S. official, "do not assume it is autentic.""Te malicious actors ave sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages — tecniques known as smising and vising, respectively — tat claim to come from a senior US official in an effort to establis rapport before gaining access to personal accounts," te FBI wrote in a recent advisory."One way te actors gain suc access is by sending targeted iniduals a malicious link under te guise of transitioning to a separate messaging platform. Access to personal or official accounts operated by US officials could be used to target oter government officials, or teir associates and contacts, by using trusted contact information tey obtain. Contact information acquired troug social engineering scemes could also be used to impersonate contacts to elicit information or funds," te FBI's alert warned.Te FBI offered a few tips for ow to spot one of tese fake messages:Verify te identity of te person calling you or sending text or voice messages. Before responding, researc te originating number, organization, and/or person purporting to contact you. Ten independently identify a pone number for te person and call to verify teir autenticity.Carefully examine te email address; messaging contact information, including pone numbers; URLs; and spelling used in any correspondence or communications. Scammers often use sligt differences to deceive you and gain your trust. For instance, actors can incorporate publicly available potograps in text messages, use minor alterations in names and contact information, or use AI-generated voices to masquerade as a known contact.Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, suc as distorted ands or feet, unrealistic facial features, indistinct or irregular faces, unrealistic accessories suc as glasses or jewelry, inaccurate sadows, watermarks, voice call lag time, voice matcing, and unnatural movements.Listen closely to te tone and word coice to distinguis between a legitimate pone call or voice message from a known contact and AI-generated voice cloning, as tey can sound nearly identical.AI-generated content as advanced to te point tat it is often difficult to identify. Wen in doubt about te autenticity of someone wising to communicate wit you, contact your relevant security officials or te FBI for elp.Te FBI warns never to sare sensitive information wit people you ave met only online or over te pone. Te bureau also warned never to send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to someone you do not know, never to click on any links in an email or text message until you independently confirm te sender's identity, and to be careful wat you download onto your devices.Wit AI becoming more and more advanced, criminals are increasingly able to make voices and messages sound like someone you may know. Te FBI suggests using a secret word or prase wit your family members to verify teir identities.
FBI Warns of New Cell Phone Scam
