UK Prime Minister Burnham messaged someone posing as White House chief of staff - report

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham engaged in a brief exchange of messages with an individual posing as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, sources familiar with the situation reported. The communication, described as "a few messages of no significance," occurred before Burnham realized the contact was illegitimate.

The British embassy in Washington subsequently alerted the White House, expressing concern that Wiles' phone might have been compromised for a second time. However, the White House clarified to Politico that the incident "had nothing to do with the chief of staff’s devices being hacked.” Last year, an FBI investigation was launched after Wiles' personal phone was hacked, exposing private contact information of numerous high-profile individuals.

Downing Street, the official residence and office of the British Prime Minister, declined to comment on the incident. The exact content and timing of the messages exchanged with the Wiles imposter remain undisclosed.

Adding to the security concerns, the personal phone numbers of at least three UK cabinet ministers were reportedly leaked online shortly after this incident. The Guardian reported that the names and numbers of Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Alex Norris, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant became publicly available. A source indicated that Streeting's number has since been removed, and Downing Street officials are working to address the others.