Someone is impersonating Susie Wiles, President Trump’s chief of staff, and the FBI is looking into it. Wiles, who made history as the first female chief of staff in the U.S., reported that her personal cellphone was hacked, leading to unauthorized contacts with other top officials in the Trump administration.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that protecting the communication of administration officials is a high priority. The impersonator used artificial intelligence to create fake messages, which raised red flags for some lawmakers. They noticed odd questions about Trump that Wiles should have easily answered. In one instance, the impersonator even requested a cash transfer, which further alarmed the recipients of the messages.
On May 15, the FBI issued a public service announcement warning about these impersonation attempts. Since April 2025, bad actors have been pretending to be senior U.S. officials, targeting both current and former government officials. The FBI highlighted tactics like smishing and vishing, which involve sending deceptive text messages and AI-generated voice messages. These impersonators often try to build trust before attempting to access personal accounts.
The announcement also explained that the impersonators might send malicious links disguised as messages from senior officials. This could allow them to gain access to personal or official accounts, which they could then use to target others.
This isn’t the first time Wiles has faced security threats. In 2024, Iranian agents tried to hack her email account, showing a pattern of targeting her.
Wiles has a significant role in Trump’s political operations. She was his campaign director in Florida in 2016 and later became the CEO of his “Save America” PAC in 2021. Currently, she serves as a senior adviser for his 2024 campaign. Trump’s pollster, Tony Fabrizio, praised her knowledge and influence within the campaign, noting that no one else has as much information as she does.
As the FBI continues its investigation, the situation raises important questions about cybersecurity and the safety of communication among government officials.