British Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged several messages with a person 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, who took office at 10 Downing Street on July 20.
According to multiple sources cited by the BBC, Andy Burnham quickly suspected that his interlocutor was not the real American official. Only a few messages were sent, and no sensitive or “significant” information was communicated. The exchanges were then reported to the competent authorities so they could investigate the origin of this impersonation attempt.
The White House Informed of the Incident
The UK Embassy in Washington alerted the American administration. Downing Street and the White House declined to comment publicly on the matter. However, this episode raises questions about the security of private communications of political leaders, even when their protected professional lines are not directly targeted.
Susie Wiles herself was a victim of phone hacking in May 2026. Individuals then used her contacts to reach several senior American officials, prompting the FBI to open an investigation. The United Kingdom had already experienced a similar case when David Cameron received a call from someone impersonating former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
