FBI and CISA warn years-long impersonation campaign targeting senior US officials has continued and expanded

US federal authorities published a warning in early May 2026 that a years-long impersonation campaign targeting senior US government officials has not only continued but expanded its scope. The campaign uses smishing and voice phishing to impersonate senior officials and extract credentials, contact information and sensitive communications from targets including current and former cabinet-level officials, state governors and senior congressional staff. The FBI and CISA jointly advise that targets should verify all unsolicited contact from officials through official government channels before responding, and that organisations implement phishing- resistant multi-factor authentication across all government-adjacent systems. The advisory connects to the broader pattern of AI-enhanced social engineering documented in the IOCTA 2026, where voice synthesis and identity impersonation at scale have become primary vectors for accessing high-value targets in government and critical infrastructure sectors.

In this domain: Itron discloses April cyberattack on corporate IT systems — utility tech supplier used across critical infrastructure in 100+ countries · Digital Forensics Magazine 13 May: Netherlands DPA censures healthcare lab; Japan orders cybersecurity review after AI exploit risk · Russia-linked Signal phishing campaign targets around 300 German officials, military personnel and journalists via linked-device exploit