Newly installed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham unwittingly exchanged communications with a fraudster posing as a key member of US President Donald Trump’s inner circle, according to reporting in Politico on Monday from four government officials.
Burnham engaged in message exchanges with an individual impersonating White House chief of staff Susie Wiles before realizing the communications were illegitimate, sources informed the news outlet.
Downing Street declined to comment on the specifics, stating: “We do not comment on national security matters". A source informed about the incident noted that a “few messages" were sent following the Prime Minister’s entry into No. 10, but maintained that the text exchanges were “of no significance".
Alarmed by the security breach, British embassy representatives in Washington formally brought the concern to the attention of the White House, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico.
The incident raised fears within British political circles that Wiles’ cellular phone might have suffered another unauthorized intrusion.
Countering those assumptions, a White House official stated: “This incident had nothing to do with the Chief of Staff’s devices being hacked".
In the previous year, federal authorities including the FBI launched an inquiry after US lawmakers, state governors, and corporate leaders were targeted with phone calls and text messages from an individual pretending to be Trump’s chief of staff.
At that time, reports from the Wall Street Journal indicated Wiles had told colleagues that her phone contacts were compromised.
The exact details of what was discussed during the exchange with Burnham - as well as the specific timing of the messages - have not been disclosed, with the security lapse remaining tightly guarded.