Fed Chair Tricked into Revealing Biden’s Economic Projection to Russian Pranksters Posing as Zelensky

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell was fooled by Russian pranksters posing as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a recent phone call.

During the call, Powell appeared to discuss the economic impact of interest rate hikes. Videos of the conversation were shared on social media, with one clip showing Powell saying a recession is almost as likely as very slow growth this year.

“We would tell you that a recession is almost as likely as very slow growth,” Powell said.

Full January prank call with US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and @evilprank: https://t.co/jjvdBjUpOD pic.twitter.com/tXv0CyZ5Ho

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) April 27, 2023

The Federal Reserve has responded to the incident, with a spokesperson stating that “the video appears to have been edited and I cannot confirm that it is accurate.”

The spokesman also confirmed that Powell had participated in a conversation in January with someone falsely posing as the Ukrainian president, but that “no sensitive or confidential information was discussed.”

The Fed has not commented on whether the call revealed any security failures or what steps will be taken to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.

“Chairman Powell engaged in a conversation in January with someone who falsely identified himself as the president of Ukraine,” the spokesman said. “It was a friendly conversation and it took place in the context of our position in support of the Ukrainian people at this difficult time. No sensitive or confidential information was discussed.”

This is not the first time that pranksters Vladimir Kutznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov have successfully tricked world leaders into conversing under false pretenses. They have previously pranked European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and then UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

“The matter has been referred to the appropriate law enforcement agencies and, out of respect for their efforts, we will not comment further,” the spokesman added.

Powell’s incident has raised questions about the Fed’s rate hikes, which are aimed at cooling the economy and curbing inflation. If rates stay too high for too long, a recession could occur. The Fed is currently facing intense scrutiny over its monetary policy decisions, and this incident is likely to add to the pressure.

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