British Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged several messages with someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Donald Trump 's chief of staff . The incident, revealed by the American media outlet Politico , occurred on the British leader's personal phone, which he moved into 10 Downing Street on July 20.
According to several sources cited by the BBC, Andy Burnham quickly suspected that his contact was not the actual American official. Only a few messages were reportedly exchanged, and no sensitive or "significant" information was shared. The exchanges were then reported to the relevant authorities so they could investigate the origin of this attempted impersonation.
The White House has been informed of the incident.
The British Embassy in Washington alerted the US administration. Downing Street and the White House declined to comment publicly on the matter. This incident nevertheless raises questions about the security of private communications for political figures, even when their protected official lines are not directly targeted.
Susie Wiles herself was the victim of a phone hack in May 2026. Individuals used her contacts to reach several high-ranking US officials, prompting the FBI to launch an investigation. The UK had already experienced a similar incident when David Cameron received a call from someone impersonating former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
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