UK Cabinet ministers' personal phone numbers found online after PM Burnham targeted by texting scam
Following reports that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with someone impersonating a top Trump aide, it emerged that the personal mobile numbers of several Cabinet ministers, including Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, were publicly available online.
Politico has found that the personal mobile phone numbers of three UK Cabinet ministers — Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Alex Norris and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant — were published online alongside their names. The discovery followed reporting that Prime Minister Andy Burnham had engaged in a text exchange with someone impersonating Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, before growing suspicious and cutting off contact.
Politico is not disclosing where the numbers were found in order to avoid further security risk. All three ministers declined to comment on the record. The reference to Streeting's number has since been removed, and officials are working to take down the other two. Ministers are issued secure government devices for official business, particularly for high-risk portfolios such as defense.
A government spokesperson said robust procedures are in place to protect sensitive information. However, Prerana Joshi, a research fellow at the RUSI think tank, warned that having ministers' direct numbers publicly available poses a risk, noting the numbers could be used to spoof calls at a time when the UK faces heightened global threats.
Questions over the Burnham exchange
Downing Street declined to comment on the Burnham exchange, citing national security. A person briefed on the matter said a few messages were exchanged after Burnham entered No. 10 but described them as "of no significance." It remains unclear how the impersonator obtained Burnham's number, which Politico could not find published online. A White House official denied the incident was linked to any hacking of Wiles' devices.
A former national security adviser said the prime minister needs to develop the habit of having security staff verify the authenticity of messages he receives. Former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who was himself targeted by impersonators in 2022, said the episode shows adversaries are constantly probing for weaknesses in official communications, adding that such incidents will likely increase as AI voice-cloning technology improves. Some commentators, however, urged Burnham not to abandon his informal communication style, arguing the exchange had caused no real harm.
