Prime Minister Andy Burnham was tricked into corresponding with a person posing as one of Donald Trump's most senior aides, according to POLITICO. The Prime Minister thought he was in contact with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles before growing doubtful that the communication was genuine.
The incident prompted the British Embassy in Washington to alert the Trump administration, who refused to respond publicly. Downing Street has sought to downplay the communication by maintaining that they "do not comment on national security matters."
Messages "of no significance"
One source familiar with the communication told Politico that a "few messages" were sent following the PM's arrival at No.10 but stressed they were "of no significance." The contents of the exchange remains unknown, reports the Express.
It comes after Wiles, who was seen by many as instrumental in Donald Trump's return to the White House, reportedly had her phone hacked last year, leading to an investigation by the FBI. She managed his presidential campaign before becoming White House chief of staff, the first woman to serve in the high-profile position.
Previous phone hack
According to CBS, the Trump ally told people that her phone had been hacked after an impersonator - or impersonators - used her contacts file to message other top US officials. Speaking at the time, FBI director Kash Patel said in a statement: "The FBI takes all threats against the President, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness; safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the President's mission is a top priority."
Wiles is understood to have apologised to friends and contacts for the previous breach, telling them to discount any messages. However it is believed that many engaged with the key Trump ally before realising that the messages were not genuine.
Security concerns raised
The latest apparent breach of Wiles' phone raises fresh questions about the security protocols being followed by those closest to the US president after a series of blunders. Last year, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth was ridiculed for sharing top-secret plans for a military strike in a Whatsapp group. The discussions were uncovered after a journalist was accidentally added into the group, becoming privy to confidential information hours before a US military strike.
