Prime Minister Andy Burnham has added his name to the ever-growing list of world leaders who’ve been duped by a very convincing stranger on the internet, after exchanging messages with someone pretending to be Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s chief of staff.

Downing Street, in a move that will shock absolutely no one, has declined to comment on the security breach, which was first reported by Politico. Politico, citing officials, said Burnham communicated with the person claiming to be Wiles "before becoming suspicious that the contact was illegitimate," and that only "a few messages" were exchanged.

A government spokesperson, channelling the spirit of every spy movie ever, said: "We do not comment on national security matters." It is understood the communication was via messages, not a conversation, which is probably for the best - imagine the awkward pause when you realize you’ve been chatting with a ghost.

Sources said "no messages of significance" were exchanged, and the texts were "quickly reported to the appropriate authorities" once suspicion arose. So, no state secrets spilled, but plenty of egg on face.

This isn’t the first time Wiles’s name has been dragged through the mud of cyber skulduggery. The BBC previously reported an FBI probe into her phone being hacked in May last year. At that time, Wiles said her phone had been hacked after an impersonator used her contacts to message other top US officials. The impersonation targeted her personal phone, not a government one, but recipients included US senators, governors, and top business executives - because who needs security when you have a rolodex of power players?

Wiles, a key Trump ally, was also among those targeted by a cyber espionage unit linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 2024. Because apparently, being a top political adviser means you’re on everyone’s hit list.

The White House has been contacted for comment, but we’re not holding our breath for a witty retort.

Burnham’s brush with faux-diplomacy echoes a similar incident in 2024, when then-foreign secretary David Cameron fell for a hoax call with someone pretending to be former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Cameron, who was prime minister from 2010 to 2016 and had multiple dealings with Poroshenko during his presidency (2014-2019), exchanged text messages with the impersonator. The Foreign Office (FCDO) revealed the exchange publicly over fears it could be "manipulated" - because what better way to prevent manipulation than to broadcast it to the world?

And the hits keep coming. In 2022, two government ministers were targeted by an imposter pretending to be Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace blamed Russian "dirty tricks" for the calls, made via Microsoft Teams, which Home Secretary Priti Patel confirmed she also received. A Ministry of Defence source called the video call "fairly sophisticated," noting it came via "another government department," which added to its credibility - because nothing says legit like a random Teams invite from a government department.

So, the next time you get a suspicious message from a world leader, maybe double-check the caller ID. Or, you know, just assume it’s a prank. It usually is.