08 / 10
Burnham messaged Trump chief of staff impostor
The UK leader stopped messaging after suspecting the contact claiming to be Susie Wiles was not genuine.
What happened
Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged a few messages with someone impersonating White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, then became suspicious and stopped. The British embassy raised the incident with the White House. Downing Street declined comment, while the White House denied that Wiles’s devices had been hacked.
Numbers
- A fewmessages exchanged before suspicion
- At least 3ministers’ numbers published online
Questions
- Who was the impersonator claiming to be?
- Susie Wiles is President Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff; the person contacting Burnham claimed to be her.
- Why did Britain contact the White House?
- The embassy raised the matter over concern that Wiles’s phone had been hacked, though the White House denied a connection.
- What related exposure was found?
- Personal mobile numbers for at least three cabinet ministers were published online, adding to concern about senior politicians’ communications security.
- Was Wiles targeted before?
- An FBI investigation last year examined messages sent after Wiles’s personal phone was hacked and its contact list accessed.
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The catch
The messages’ timing, content, number and communication platform have not been disclosed by either government.
Officials described them as insignificant.