During the call, Cardin grew suspicious when the impersonator began asking politically charged questions, particularly about supporting long-range missiles into Russian territory.

Senate security officials have issued warnings about the sophisticated nature of this social engineering threat, emphasizing its believability.

Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently participated in a Zoom call where he was targeted by a deepfake impersonating Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's former foreign minister.

The impersonation attempt began with an email claiming to be from Kuleba, leading to a video call that initially seemed legitimate.

Cardin described the encounter as a deceptive attempt by a 'malign actor' and reported the incident to the State Department, which confirmed it was a fake.

The FBI is investigating the incident, which Senate security officials believe involved the use of artificial intelligence to create the impersonation.

Deepfakes are increasingly prevalent and pose significant risks, particularly to high-profile individuals, raising concerns about their potential use in political manipulation.

There are growing fears that deepfakes could be used to misrepresent candidates in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

Cardin's office is cooperating with ongoing investigations, and he has emphasized the need for vigilance against similar deceptive attempts.

Organizations are urged to optimize their AI tools while ensuring access to encrypted data to enhance security against deepfake threats.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner has expressed concerns about foreign governments potentially manipulating political figures through deepfake technology.

Experts predict that incidents like the one involving Cardin will become more common as advancements in AI technology make deepfakes more realistic and easier to execute.