Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with an individual posing as a chief of staff to former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports. Downing Street has declined to comment on the security breach.
Officials stated that Burnham communicated with the person, who claimed to be Susie Wiles, before becoming suspicious that the contact was illegitimate. It is understood that only a few messages were exchanged via text, and no conversation took place between Burnham and the impersonator.
Sources indicated that "no messages of significance" were exchanged and that the texts were promptly reported to the appropriate authorities once they were deemed suspicious.
This incident follows a reported FBI probe into Susie Wiles' personal phone being hacked in May of the previous year. At that time, Wiles stated that an impersonator used her contacts to message other high-ranking U.S. officials, including senators and governors. Wiles, a close ally of former President Trump, was also identified in 2024 as a target of a cyber espionage unit linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.