UK Prime Minister Duped Into Messaging Someone Pretending to be Susie Wiles

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham sent messages to someone pretending to be White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, according to a new report, prompting British officials to raise the security scare directly with the Trump administration.

Burnham believed he was communicating with one of President Donald Trump’s closest advisers, four officials revealed to Politico, before becoming suspicious that the person contacting him was not one of Trump’s top officials.

At least some of the exchange happened after Burnham took over at 10 Downing Street on July 20, according to the report.

One person briefed on the communications said only a “few messages” were exchanged and maintained they were “of no significance.”

“We do not comment on national security matters,” Downing Street told the outlet.

The episode nevertheless caused enough concern for the British embassy in Washington, D.C., to alert the White House, two officials told the outlet. It also reportedly raised fears within the U.K. government that Wiles’ phone may have been compromised.

It remains unclear who was behind the messages, what was discussed, or precisely when the contact began. Burnham took office last month after succeeding Keir Starmer as prime minister.

The incident comes after Wiles was at the center of a separate impersonation incident in May 2025. At the time, senators, governors, senior U.S. business executives, and other prominent figures received text messages and phone calls from an unknown individual posing as the White House chief of staff, prompting a federal investigation.

The Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that Wiles told associates that contacts stored on her cellphone had been hacked.

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