RUSSIAN hackers impersonated the Defence Secretary in a bid to swindle cash out of wealthy Tory donors, The Sun can reveal.

Cyber crooks created a fake email account for Williamson then contacted rich party donors claiming the MoD needed help paying a vast ransom.

6 Russian hackers have been caught impersonating Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Credit: Alamy Live News

They also used a fake account for the MoD’s top civil servant Stephen Lovegrove in the sophisticated phishing scam last month.

A source said the MoD started getting enquiries on how they could help with a sensitive situation.

Confused, they began asking questions and discovered party donors thought they were helping secure a hostage release overseas for the MoD following a direct request from Williamson.

The UK Government does not pay ransoms for the release of hostages.

6 The aim of the hack was to gather cash from wealthy Tory donors to pay for a fake ransom Credit: Getty - Contributor

Now insiders suspect the hoax was not only orchestrated as a criminal enterprise to extort cash – but also intended to humiliate the MoD for publicity purposes.

But their schemes - part of a wider cyber campaign launched by shadowy Russian hackers - were quickly rumbled.

The revelation comes days after it was confirmed two Russian military spies carried out the Salisbury nerve attack hit on former spy Sergei Skripal.

A source said: “We had these weird emails coming in offering to help with a highly sensitive matter.

6 Hackers used a fake account impersonating Stephen Lovegrove, MoD's top civil servant Credit: Getty - Contributor

“Everyone was bewildered, enquiries were made and it turned out these rich donors were getting emails asking for help with a hostage scenario.

“Further investigations found the emails were coming from accounts that looked like official email addresses for Williamson and Lovegrove.

“It was literally hackers trying to impersonate the Defence Secretary to illicit millions from wealthy donors.

“Analysts traced it to Russian hackers.”

6 The revelation comes six months after Williamson blasted that Russia should 'go away and should shut up' Credit: EPA

Insiders said an investigation by Conservative party HQ and defence analysts found the email originated from Russia, sources said.

Stephen Lovegrove is the MoD’s permanent secretary – the department’s top civil servant.

A source close to the Defence Secretary said Williamson may have been targeted because he had been so outspoken on the Russian threat to international security.

The source, added: “It’s not surprising to us that Gavin has been targeted because he’s been a vociferous critic of Russia.

6 The discovery comes two days after it was confirmed that Russian military spies carried out the Salisbury nerve attack Credit: Getty - Contributor

“He was warning of the threat from Russia long before they launched a chemical attack on us.

“Russian criminal gangs only operate with a nod from the Kremelin – this is all part of the Russian gangster playbook that encourages these malign acts.”

Phishing scams use email accounts that appear real to dupe targets into coughing up sensitive data or cash.

Last month the MoD put out an obscure press release warning about a “potential phishing scam.”

6 Russian cyber crooks used fake accounts for Williamson to contact wealthy party donors claiming that the MoD needed help to pay a vast ransom fee Credit: Alamy

The release on August 3 did not mention Williamson or Lovegrove, but said: “The MOD has been made aware of a possible phishing fraud.

“Targets of the fraud have received emails purporting to originate within the MOD attempting to make contact or seeking money.”

Anyone getting the “suspicious” emails were advised to cease communicating with the account and report it to cops.

An MoD spokesperson said: “We are aware that people were targeted and contacted as part of a ‘phishing’ campaign by people pretending to be senior MOD officials.

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“As this was a criminal activity, we worked closely with law enforcement partners and the National Cyber Security Centre to make sure potential victims were aware of the scam.”

The news comes six months after Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told the media that Russia should “go away and should shut up”.

Mr Williamson, who was on a visit to Bristol at the time, added relations were “exceptionally chilly”, saying: “It is absolutely atrocious and outrageous what Russia did in Salisbury. We have responded to that.

“Frankly, Russia should go away and should shut up.”

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