I was targeted in an AI-Powered Scam that Impersonated President Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles

—And I’m Not Alone

As an investigative journalist who’s spent years exposing government overreach, corporate fraud, and media manipulations, I’m trained to recognize signs of deception— when others are victims. But I was recently targeted in an elaborate con that exploited cutting-edge artificial intelligence to convincingly mimic the voices and identities of President Donald Trump and his chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

This wasn’t a crude prank; it was a sophisticated ruse apparently designed to extract money.

It also targeted other national figures, including some former Trump administration officials, raising alarms about the vulnerability of supposedly secure communications like Signal and the daunting potential of AI in everyday fraud.

Read on for details.

For me, the scam began on November 12, when a text arrived on my regular cell phone from a number purporting to be that of Susie Wiles:

“Sharyl let’s schedule a Signal call. My Signal no is 202[redacted]. You have a message from the President. Thank you. Susie. Chief of Staff.”

At the time, I was awaiting White House approval for a long-pending interview request with President Trump. Though Wiles isn’t typically the point person for such scheduling, the message seemed plausible amid the post-election transition buzz. I opened up my Signal app and added the Wiles number, initiating what would become a week of phone tag.

Each time I answered an incoming call from the Wiles number, the line would drop abruptly. When I called back, the call wouldn’t connect, but a quick text from the number would follow: excuses about being in meetings or promises to reschedule.

By November 23, after several back-and-forth attempts, the Wiles persona texted:

“Good morning Sharyl. You have a message from the POTUS. I will send it to you in the next hour.”

What followed was a 12-second audio clip on Signal, sent from the same Wiles-linked number, in a voice that eerily matched hers:

“Apologies, uh, for not taking your call. The Secret Service restricts my calls. It’s not easy working with them. I will call you later in the day. Thank you.”

Then came another audio recording from the same thread, titled “FROM THE POTUS.” It was a voice unmistakably like President Trump’s, though the recording showed clear signs of editing—halting pauses and a scripted feel that I initially chalked up to legal vetting for multiple recipients. The message said:

“Hi Sharyl. I am considering appointing you to the board of Tik Tok. Uh, you, Baron and other board members will control the entire Tik Tok operation and you will be awarded shares as a director board member. We will discuss figures and details when we meet here. We privately hired a Chinese firm to regularize all board members. Susie will guide you on what to do. Thank you.”

Follow-up texts from the Wiles number continued:

“The POTUS will meet you after Thanksgiving. I will send you a meeting invitation letter from the POTUS.”

Next, the scammer asked for my help contacting another national figure—someone I didn’t know personally:

“He will join your meeting with the POTUS,” the text read, referring to the other figure. “Please call and give him my Signal number.”

I declined to do so, finding the request odd. And when I questioned the persistent call dropouts, the response from the Wiles persona stated:

“It’s because of our security network. Blocks unknown numbers. I have added your number to my safest. The blocking will stop in a few days.”

Next, the Wiles number texted:

“We will regularise you and prepare you for the meeting with the POTUS on December 8 with other nominated Board members. The meeting will be held in the WhiteHouse Rose Garden.”

And then, on Thanksgiving day, an audio recording in Susie Wiles’ voice:

“Happy Thanksgiving. The POTUS is not pleased with your delay. Um, he wants you to buy your minimum shares immediately and and get regularized by the consultant. Thank you.”

I texted back, stating “I don’t know what you are referring to.”

I also asked for the person to confirm her identity by texting me via President Trump’s actual phone number. Instead of doing so, the Wiles persona sent a barrage of unsolicited documents: personal information, resumes, photos, and even scanned passports from other supposed Tik Tok board nominees. I contacted one of the listed individuals. He confirmed he’d also been targeted by the scam, and had alerted some of his administration contacts.

But what is most interesting is that soon after, an audio recording arrived on Signal from a number that’s genuinely used by President Trump, in what — again — sounded like his authentic voice.

“Uh, Happy Thanksgiving, Sharyl. I instructed every board member to buy minimum shares worth $100,000. Susie will guide you on the purchase process. thank you.”

Shortly after, the Wiles number chimed in on Signal via text:

“I am sure the POTUS sent you a message on Signal…I will send you instructions on how to buy the shares on Sunday.”

I replied: “I don’t think so.”

Although the dollar amounts requested in the scam are notable—$21,500 upfront plus $100,000 in “shares”— it’s the execution of the fraud that is most remarkable. The voices (to me) were near-perfect, perhaps generated by AI deepfake tools that require just seconds of source audio, abundant online for public figures like Trump and Wiles. The scammers somehow mirrored Trump’s real number for that final audio, compromising Signal’s end-to-end encryption in a way that bypassed basic safeguards.

Who is responsible for coordinating and accomplishing all of this?

Deepfake voice scams have exploded, with global financial losses said to top $200 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone.

In one case last June, scammers cloned Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s voice to contact foreign ministers and U.S. officials via fake Signal accounts, mimicking his style to push bogus directives.

Earlier this year, Wiles herself was targeted when her phone was breached, leading to impersonated calls to senators and executives.

Last year, a UK energy firm lost €220,000 in 2024 after an AI-cloned CEO voice tricked an employee into a wire transfer. Even celebrities like Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson have issued warnings about deepfakes using their likenesses for scams.

Over 845,000 U.S. imposter scams reported last year alone and incidents surged nearly fourfold early this year. Tools for cloning voices are now free or cheap online, often marketed as “entertainment” for pranks but weaponized for vishing—voice phishing.

The scam using President Trump’s voice and phone number came with odd requests and financial demands. But imagine a subtler version: a deepfake urging policy leaks, vote suppression, or classified info sharing.

As I’ve reported for years on Full Measure, technology amplifies deception when unchecked. Based on my experience, I wonder if there will even be a serious investigation of what I’ve described with this scam. There was no apparent interest in the FBI or local law enforcement trying to track down the people perpetrating potentially deadly swatting attacks on me and my family members earlier this year. My bank account was wiped out this past week; a common follow-on to swatting attacks, I’m told. And still no interest by the FBI or Department of Justice in accountability for the forensically-proven government spying on me and my family over a decade ago.

Now, we must all be mindful: voices are a new currency in the AI age. Con artists can spoof phone numbers. “Secure” messaging via Signal is not secure, after all.

From financial hits to national security threats, much could be at risk— especially if those responsible for investigating don’t figure out how to step up their game.