UK PM Andy Burnham Duped by Impostor Posing as Trump Chief of Staff: Report
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was reportedly deceived into exchanging messages with a person who claimed to be Susie Wiles, US President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, according to Politico.
The incident is said to have occurred around the time Burnham took charge at 10 Downing Street on July 20. People familiar with the matter told the publication that Burnham exchanged messages with the individual before becoming suspicious that the contact was not genuine.
Once concerns emerged, the messages were reportedly brought to the attention of the relevant authorities. Downing Street declined to comment, citing national security considerations. “We do not comment on national security matters,” a spokesperson said.
No Phone Call Took Place
The communication reportedly remained limited to text messages, with no telephone conversation between Burnham and the person impersonating Wiles. The British embassy in Washington is understood to have raised the incident with the White House after concerns about the communication emerged.
A White House official said the incident was not connected to any hacking of Wiles’ devices. The episode is notable because Wiles herself was targeted in a similar impersonation attempt last year.
Wiles Previously Targeted in Impersonation Scheme
In that case, several US senators, governors and business executives reportedly received messages and calls from an individual claiming to be Trump’s chief of staff. The Wall Street Journal had reported that Wiles told associates at the time that her cellphone contacts had been compromised.
Trump publicly defended his chief of staff during the episode, saying there was only one Susie. Wiles, one of Trump’s closest political allies, was also among individuals targeted in 2024 by a cyber espionage group linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
UK Reviews Ministers’ Contact Security
The latest incident comes as the UK government takes steps to strengthen the protection of ministers’ personal contact information. The government is reportedly removing the private mobile numbers of three Cabinet ministers from websites where they had previously been publicly accessible.
The numbers reportedly belonged to Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Alex Norris and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant. A UK government spokesperson said authorities had robust procedures in place to protect sensitive information.
The reported impersonation incident has highlighted the security risks posed by fraudulent digital communications, particularly when senior government officials are targeted through seemingly legitimate contacts.
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