Chinese hackers believed to have attacked Trump and Vance’s cell phones: Sources

Chinese hackers are believed to have hacked mobile phones used by the former president Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. Jay D. Vance, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Trump/Vance campaign officials learned this week that Trump and Vance are among several people whose phone numbers are believed to have been targeted and potentially compromised, the sources said. It is unclear what, if any, access to the devices was gained. Investigators are working to determine that information, sources told ABC News.

People associated with the Harris-Walz campaign were also targeted, a source familiar with the campaign told ABC News.

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a statement about the hacks, but did not name the campaign. However, sources told ABC News that the targets were the Trump/Vance campaign.

“The US government is investigating unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by entities associated with the People’s Republic of China,” the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement. “After the FBI identified specific malicious activity targeting this sector, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) immediately notified affected companies, provided technical assistance and quickly shared information to help other potential victims.”

In response to the news, Trump campaign officials sought to blame Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration, saying they are “encouraging China and Iran to attack critical American infrastructure to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House.”

MORE: Chinese hackers may have targeted group with close ties to Trump

First The New York Times reported news.

According to a source familiar with the investigation, the current understanding is that this was a large-scale campaign targeting officials on both sides. The investigation has been ongoing for some time, and law enforcement recently began notifying various people who have been targeted by this cyber campaign.

The joint FBI/CISA statement released Friday was not in response to a report by The New York Times, according to a senior administration official, who added that a public disclosure of the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure was planned within days.

Chinese hackers believed to have attacked Trump and Vance’s cell phones: Sources first appeared on abcnews.go.com