UK Prime Minister Communicated with Scammer Posing as Trump's Adviser
Andy Burnham exchanged messages for days with someone impersonating Susie Wiles, and the case escalated diplomatically to the White House.
Andy Burnham exchanged messages for days with someone impersonating Susie Wiles, and the case escalated diplomatically to the White House.
Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, communicated with an unknown individual who impersonated Susie Wiles, the White House Chief of Staff and a close aide to Donald Trump. The case was confirmed to Politico by four officials familiar with the events, and the news was published on August 17, 2026.
According to sources, Burnham began to doubt the authenticity of the person he was communicating with after some time. A person familiar with the communication stated that a "few messages" were exchanged after the Prime Minister took office, but insisted that their content "was not significant."
Downing Street declined to disclose details of the case. "We do not comment on matters of national security," said a spokesperson from the UK government's headquarters.
Two officials claim that the British Embassy in Washington was sufficiently concerned about the incident to inform the White House. Due to the nature of the topic, which relates to state security, the interlocutors, like other sources mentioned in this article, requested anonymity.
This incident has raised concerns within the UK administration that Susie Wiles' phone may have been compromised again. An official comment from the White House on this case was not available.
Last year, in 2025, the White House and the FBI launched an investigation after several senators, governors, and American executives received messages and calls from an individual who also posed as the Chief of Staff. According to an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal, Wiles informed her colleagues that data from her phone had been stolen.
So far, neither the content of the messages exchanged between Burnham and the fake adviser, nor the exact timing of that communication, has been revealed. All information regarding this security breach remains confidential.
Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on July 20, 2026. His assumption of the premiership was predictable after he triumphed in the Makerfield election on June 18, 2026, succeeding Keir Starmer.