U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell held a phone conversation with tricksters impersonating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The incident has raised concerns about the security of senior Fed officials amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov deceived Powell into believing he was speaking with Zelensky over the telephone.
- The pair, known by their nicknames Vovan and Lexus, have previously tricked politicians into speaking with them while they impersonated other people.
- They are supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and have posted previous online videos intended to embarrass Western officials.
- An earlier video showed the pair tricking European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde into believing they were Zelensky.
- A Fed spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that "Chair Powell participated in a conversation in January with someone who misrepresented himself as the Ukrainian president."
- The spokesperson noted that "no sensitive or confidential information was discussed," during the conversation.
- A video of the exchange was released on Russian state television, but Fed officials said it appears to have been edited.
