--- title: "Lindsey Graham Says His Phone Was Hacked By Someone Impersonating Chuck Schumer" description: "Lindsey Graham might have been tricked by hackers who convinced him he was talking to his colleague Chuck Schumer. " date: "2024-05-02" modified: "2024-05-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/lindsey-graham-hack-impersonation" categories: - "Cybersecurity" - "Future Society" - "Hacking" tags: - "hackers" - "politics" - "senate" - "the digest" --- # Lindsey Graham Says His Phone Was Hacked By Someone Impersonating Chuck Schumer ![Lindsey Graham might have been tricked by hackers who convinced him he was talking to his colleague Chuck Schumer. ]() *\Image: Andrew Harnik via Getty\* ## Embarrassing Admission Lindsey Graham, the GOP minority leader of the Senate, is claiming he was tricked by hackers who convinced him he was talking to his colleague, majority leader Chuck Schumer. As the [*Washington Times* reports](), Graham made this alarming admission during remarks to the Hill & Valley Forum, a gathering of tech leaders and government officials who met to discuss artificial intelligence. "So I get a message, I think, from Schumer — it ain’t from Schumer," the South Carolina Republican said. "And next thing you know, my phone’s, I don’t know what. Anything you can create apparently can be hacked." It's unclear whether the message he was referencing was text or audio, or what kind of technology might have been used in the alleged hack. All the same, the situation has apparently resulted in law enforcement involvement. "My phone is in the hands of the FBI now," Graham added. ## Fool Me Twice While it's unclear who may have hacked the Senate minority leader's phone, his representative confirmed to the *Washington Times* that the Senate's sergeant at arms is investigating the incident as well. The FBI did not respond to the newspaper's request for more information. In a catty response, a Democratic staffer [told *The Hill*]() that Graham should have been suspicious from any text message purporting to be from Schumer because the New York Democrat is known to use an old-school flip phone. "Chuck Schumer isn’t texting you from his flip phone," the aide, whose name *The Hill* did not print, said. "If you get a text message from Schumer, it probably isn’t real." Interestingly, this also isn't the first time Graham has claimed to be the target of hackers. Back in late 2016, the senator claimed during a [televised discussion on *CNN*]() about Russian intelligence units that [hacked the Democratic National Committee]() that he, too, had been hacked by the Russians. "I do believe the Russians hacked into the \[Democratic National Committee\]. I do believe they hacked into \[John\] Podesta’s email account," Graham told host Wolf Blitzer. "They hacked into my campaign account." It's unclear what, if anything, authorities did about the alleged Russian hack at the time. **More on hacks:** [*Gay Furry Hackers Attack Right-Wing News Outlet*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()