{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-shaheen-bill-to-counter-foreign-cyber-scams-passes-senate/", "Cornyn, Shaheen Bill to Counter Foreign Cyber Scams Passes Senate", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "John Cornyn", "C001056", "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "cornyn", "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statements after their Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization (SCAM) Act, which would counter foreign cyber scams and hold transnational criminal organizations accountable for human trafficking, forced criminality, and cyber-enabled fraud schemes targeting Americans, passed the Senate:\n\n\u201cTransnational criminal organizations who are ensnaring innocent victims and coercing them into defrauding Americans must be held accountable,\u201d said Sen. Cornyn. \u201cThis legislation would take strategic steps to combat the growing threat of cyber scams posed by criminals connected to China and other bad actors and safeguard Americans and their pocketbooks.\u201d\n\n\u201cCriminal operations overseas are trafficking people to into forced criminality in scam centers and draining billions from Americans every year,\u201d said Sen. Shaheen. \u201cI\u2019m proud the Senate passed my bill with Senator Cornyn to ensure a comprehensive, whole-of-government response to hold these international criminal actors accountable and protect Americans\u2019 hard-earned money.\u201d\n\nThis legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA).\n\nBackground:\n\nTransnational criminal organizations (TCOs) across the globe \u2013 many of which are based in Southeast Asia and affiliated with the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) \u2013 are increasingly conducting large-scale cyber scam operations against Americans. By deceptively luring victims under false pretenses to a secure facility, also known as a scam compound, TCOs are then forcing these trafficked captives to commit cybercrimes under duress and swindle Americans out of billions of dollars annually.\n\nIn 2024, the FBI reported that there were nearly $14 billion in losses in the United States due to cyber-enabled fraud. While the Chinese Communist Party has been known to selectively crack down on compounds targeting Chinese citizens, they are otherwise turning a blind eye to those that defraud Americans, allowing them to proliferate at an alarming rate.\n\nSen. Cornyn\u2019s SCAM Act would counter foreign cyber scams and hold transnational criminal organizations accountable for employing human trafficking and forced criminality to commit cyber-enabled fraud schemes on Americans by:\n\nRequiring the U.S. Secretary of State, in consultation with the U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and other relevant departments and agencies, to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to counter scam compounds by preventing recruitment fraud, enhancing the capabilities of partner governments and law enforcement agencies to stop scam compounds and associated money laundering, supporting survivors of human trafficking, and holding accountable countries that enable or permit scam compound operations;\n\nEstablishing a task force to implement the strategy over a six-year period, evaluate its progress, and submit an annual report to Congress detailing its effectiveness;\n\nAllowing the President to use International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) sanctions against foreign persons who support or enable international scam compound operations; and\n\nRequesting a report from the Department of Justice on recommendations for a potential mechanism to provide financial redress to United States citizen victims of scam operations.\n\nIn September 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed significant sanctions on a network of Southeast Asian scam centers. In November 2025, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the creation of a Scam Center Strike Force to further crack down on this illegal activity. This legislation aims to build on The Trump administration\u2019s effort to address this growing threat.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-shaheen-bill-to-counter-foreign-cyber-scams-passes-senate/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7519768550992012, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}