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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 5490

Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act

Rep. Shreve Introduces Bill to Dismantle Foreign Scam Centers Costing Americans $10 Billion Annually

6 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

The Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and has been sent to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and the Judiciary for review. It is actively moving through the initial committee phase, but no further votes or hearings have been scheduled yet.

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • The bill creates a new interagency Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of State, to lead a government-wide effort to shut down overseas scam operations that use forced labor to defraud Americans through fake cryptocurrency investment schemes, commonly known as 'pig butchering' scams.

    From policy text

    “the President shall establish an interagency Task Force responsible for leading a whole-of-government effort to dismantle and shut down transnational criminal syndicates perpetuating mass online scam operations against Americans through the operation of large-scale scam compounds fueled by the forced labor of victims of trafficking in persons”
    View in full text
  • Americans lost at least $10 billion to these scams in 2024, with losses growing 33% year-over-year. The scam centers are concentrated in Burma, Laos, and Cambodia and are often run as joint ventures between Chinese criminal organizations and corrupt local governments.

    From policy text

    “According to the Department of Treasury, Americans lost at least $10,000,000,000 from these operations in 2024 alone.”
    View in full text
  • The bill names 32 specific foreign individuals and 10 organizations for potential sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and Transnational Criminal Organization authorities. The President must determine within 180 days whether each meets the criteria for sanctions.
  • The bill authorizes $30 million per year for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to develop and implement the strategy, including programs to provide trauma-informed care, shelter, and reintegration support for trafficking victims forced to work in the scam centers.

    From policy text

    “There is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for the Department of State for each of the fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to develop, coordinate, and implement the strategy required by section 1(b)(1).”
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  • The Task Force must develop partnerships with banks, social media platforms, dating apps, crypto exchanges, and telecom companies to disrupt the infrastructure that enables these scams, and must consult quarterly with state and local law enforcement.

    From policy text

    “develop partnerships with relevant private sector actors, including banks, social media platforms, online dating applications, telecommunication carriers, cryptocurrency exchanges, internet service providers, applications stores, search engines, and search optimization companies”
    View in full text
National Security Foreign PolicyCriminal JusticeTechnology Digital

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Sep 18, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sep 18, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

30 days after enactment

Interagency Task Force must be established

A new team of officials from State, Justice, DHS, and Treasury begins coordinating the government's fight against overseas scam operations targeting Americans.

180 days after enactment

Comprehensive strategy delivered and sanctions decisions made on 42 named targets

The government must present its plan to Congress and decide whether to freeze assets and ban travel for dozens of named individuals and organizations running scam operations.

7 years after enactment

Task Force sunsets after seven years

The Task Force automatically shuts down, unless Congress acts to extend it. By this point, the strategy should have measurably reduced scam operations and American financial losses.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act

Bill NumberHR 5490
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(48)
D: 19R: 29

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.