New UK Prime Minister Tricked by White House Chief of Staff Imposter and Exchanged Messages

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office a month ago, was tricked by an individual impersonating White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and exchanged messages with them, Politico Europe reported on the 17th, local time.

Anonymous officials stated that Prime Minister Burnham began to grow suspicious after exchanging mobile phone messages with someone posing as Chief of Staff Wiles following his inauguration.

It has not been disclosed exactly what kind of content was exchanged or how many messages were sent.

One official claimed that "there was no particular significance" to the contents.

The Prime Minister's Office drew a line, stating, "We do not comment on national security matters."

The UK government conveyed its concerns to the White House through its embassy in the United States and suspects that Chief of Staff Wiles' mobile phone may have been hacked once again, according to Politico.

In the United States last year, an individual impersonating Chief of Staff Wiles called or sent text messages to prominent figures including federal senators, governors, and corporate chief executive officers (CEOs), prompting an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The imposter even demanded cash transfers.

At the time, Wiles told those around her that her mobile phone contact list had been hacked.

Prime Minister Burnham held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump immediately after taking office on July 20, making him the first foreign leader to do so.

Previously in Europe, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and former Polish President Andrzej Duda were tricked into phone calls by Russian YouTubers impersonating senior politicians or diplomats, suffering embarrassment after the recording files were made public.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.