David Cameron duped by hoax call from 'former Ukraine president'
2 Min Read
The UK Foreign Office reported that the Foreign Secretary had a video call with an individual claiming to be former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
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British Foreign Secretary David Cameron attends a commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, in Portsmouth, England, on June 5, 2024. (AP)
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron was duped by a hoax video call with an individual claiming to be Petro Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, a series of text messages were exchanged before a brief video call between Lord Cameron and the individual posing as Poroshenko.
It is worth noting that Poroshenko, who served as Ukrainian president from 2014 to 2019, has maintained a significant presence in Ukrainian affairs even after leaving office.
The Foreign Office stated, “Whilst the video call clearly appeared to be with Mr. Poroshenko, following the conversation the foreign secretary became suspicious. Contact details for others were requested and, given his concerns, the foreign secretary stopped responding."
“The department has now investigated and confirmed that it was not genuine and that the messages and video calls were a hoax. We are making this public in case the video of the foreign secretary is manipulated and subsequently used, and to ensure that others are aware of this risk.”
Regarding the released statement, the Foreign Office said manipulation of the “information environment is becoming ever more present”.
The Foreign Office noted that while the foreign secretary regrets his error, he deems it crucial to denounce such behavior and intensify efforts to combat misinformation.
Earlier this week, broadcasters announced that they wouldn't have the ability to caution viewers about deepfakes and misinformation on election day. Rachel Corp, ITN’s chief executive, expressed concerns about the inundation of AI-generated propaganda in the lead-up to polling day, stating, "We’re going to be flooded."
In 2015, Cameron disclosed how he thwarted a hoax caller while answering his BlackBerry during a family walk in his Oxfordshire constituency. Recognizing that the caller, who purported to be the director of GCHQ at the time, Robert Hannigan, was a fraud, Cameron promptly ended the call. The prime minister assured that no sensitive information had been divulged and announced a review would be conducted.
