Lindsey Graham Confirms That FBI Confiscated His Phone Following An Alleged Hack

Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced that the FBI was in possession of his phone, after it may have been hacked

While attending the Hill and Valley Forum, Graham said that on May 1, he received a phone call from someone pretending to be Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

“I get a message, I think, from Schumer,” Graham said, “And the next thing you know, my phone is … I don’t know. Anything you can create apparently can be hacked.”

It is unclear at this time who may have been behind the possible hacking, nor what was said over the phone, but if Graham’s phone was hacked, it wouldn’t be the first time that a congressman has faced hacking.

In March, 2023, multiple Congressmembers were informed that their sensitive personal health data might be at risk, following a breach of a health insurance marketplace based out of Washington D.C.

The affected organization, D.C. Health Link, confirmed that customer data was impacted, though it did not specify how many. It said that it was informing those customers, working with law enforcement to find the culprits, and offering identify theft services and credit monitoring to the affected people.

“DC Health Link has identified two distinct groups – (Group 1) individuals we know were impacted by the data breach because their information was taken and posted publicly and (Group 2) individuals whose information we now know was stored in the same manner as the first group but we do not have actual evidence that information for Group 2 was compromised,” they said in a statement posted to their website.

For the first group of individuals, the organization said, “we provided a notice through their DC Health Link account on Thursday, March 9. All people in Group 1 were provided with three years of free identity and credit monitoring services. The three years of monitoring protection includes all enrolled dependents, spouses, and children.”

As for the second group, “These individuals are being notified in an abundance of caution as we cannot say with certainty their information was compromised because we have no evidence of access or download. We expect to complete the data review and notification process in the coming days. Everyone in Group 2 will receive a notice in their DC Health Link account. All individuals in Group 2 will also be provided with three years of free identity and credit monitoring services. The three years of monitoring protection includes all enrolled dependents, spouses, and children.”

After the attack, the stolen data of 12 individuals were posted on an online crime forum, which included Social Security numbers, addresses, names of employers, phone numbers, emails, and addresses.

While it’s impossible to know the full number of people whose phones are hacked each year, it’s likely a significant number. Scores of journalists, human rights activists, and politicians were found on a leaked list of what is believed to be potential targets of an Israeli hacking organization called NSO Group, following an investigation into the topic by a global media consortium.

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