[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5900 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5900
To direct the Department of Defense to establish a joint task force to
investigate transnational cybercrimes, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 31, 2025
Mr. Vindman (for himself and Mr. Baird) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Department of Defense to establish a joint task force to
investigate transnational cybercrimes, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Stopping Cross-border Attacks and
Manipulation Act'' or the ``SCAM Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to estimates from the United States Institute
of Peace, China-linked transnational organized crime (TOC)
groups operating ``fraud farms'' in Southeast Asia are stealing
nearly $43,800,000,000 annually through digital scams.
(2) These scams increasingly affect Americans,
disproportionately targeting populations such as the elderly
and socially isolated.
(3) According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in
2024 alone--
(A) 246,783 scam text messages were reported,
resulting in $469,000,000 in losses to Americans;
(B) 371,664 scam emails were reported, leading to
$502,000,000 in losses to Americans; and
(C) 284,651 scam phone calls were reported, causing
$948,000,000 in losses to Americans.
(4) Transnational organized crime (TOC) groups maintain
documented ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Chinese
officials and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have provided
direct support for the construction and operation of TOC-linked
facilities, raising serious concerns about a coordinated
campaign of foreign interference and sabotage.
(5) The CCP's involvement in TOC networks presents an
urgent national security threat. These networks funnel
financial assets and sensitive personal information of U.S.
citizens to a hostile foreign power, undermining both American
economic security and individual privacy.
(6) These criminal networks have deeply embedded themselves
into Southeast Asian economies, exerting destabilizing
influence across the region.
(7) Proceeds from these scams are used to fund warlords and
fuel ongoing civil conflicts, compounding regional instability.
(8) TOC networks have trafficked an estimated 300,000
individuals into cyber scam operations across Southeast Asia.
Victims, including United States citizens, are forced to work
under conditions that the U.S.-China Economic and Security
Review Commission compares to modern slavery. The United
Nations has warned that human trafficking tied to these scam
centers has reached the level of a humanitarian and human
rights crisis.
(9) The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
has acknowledged credible reports linking scam compounds in the
Philippines to Chinese espionage activity. These facilities are
being constructed near air bases strategically important to
U.S. operations, including Clark Air Base and Basa Air Base,
which is part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
The Philippine intelligence community has provided compelling
evidence that these compounds have been used for surveillance
and cyber intrusions.
(10) The Chinese government has used the presence of
Chinese TOC networks in Southeast Asia to pressure regional
governments to allow a greater role for Chinese security
forces. This effort threatens national sovereignty and regional
stability.
(11) TOC networks endanger American defense priorities as
well as democracy, good governance, and stability around the
world by co-opting local elites, undermining law enforcement,
weakening state authority, and threatening the United States'
strategic interest in building a free and open Indo-Pacific.
(12) An effective response by the United States Government
will require a coordinated, whole-of-government effort that
draws on the competencies of Federal agencies in information
collection, financial enforcement, diplomatic engagement,
defense and intelligence preparedness, and law enforcement.
SEC. 3. JOINT TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE TRANSNATIONAL CYBERCRIMES.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, acting through
the head of U.S. Cyber Command and in coordination with the
heads of other appropriate agencies, shall establish a joint
task force to coordinate efforts to investigate, disrupt, and
protect citizens of the United States from transnational
cybercrimes and foreign-operated scam networks, including
fraudulent text and direct messing centers and other digital
fraud schemes targeting citizens of the United States.
(2) Membership.--The task force shall, at a minimum, be
composed of--
(A) an official of the Department of State,
including--
(i) the Assistant Secretary for Emerging
Threats;
(ii) the Assistant Secretary for
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement;
and
(iii) the Assistant Secretary for
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor;
(B) officials of the Department of Defense,
including U.S. Cyber Command and the National Mission
Force;
(C) an official of the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence;
(D) an official of the Federal Trade Commission;
(E) an official of the Federal Communications
Commission;
(F) officials of the Office of Foreign Assets
Control and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of
the Department of the Treasury;
(G) officials of the Department of Justice,
including officials from--
(i) the Criminal Division, including the
International Unit of the Money Laundering and
Asset Recovery Section;
(ii) the Office of International Affairs;
(iii) the National Security Division; and
(iv) the Office of the Cyber Ambassador;
(H) an official of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center;
(I) representatives of State and local governments
that--
(i) are leading efforts to counter
cybercrimes; or
(ii) are disproportionately affected by
cybercrimes; and
(J) representatives of relevant expert non-profit
organizations.
(3) Leadership.--The members of the task force, in
consultation with the leadership of the Department of Defense,
may assign responsibility to an appropriate office within the
Department of Defense to serve as the lead for the task force
to coordinate the preparation and submission of the report
required by subsection (c) and hold offices and agencies
responsible for implementation.
(b) Priority.--In carrying out its duties under subsection (a) and
in preparing the report under subsection (c), the task force shall
prioritize work related to scam operations with ties to the Chinese
Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific region.
(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the task force established under subsection (a) shall submit
to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and
of the Senate a report--
(1) identifying emerging trends related to the scam
operations described in subsection (a) that are tied to
international criminal organizations, including efforts to--
(A) scam and steal data from United States persons;
(B) cultivate relationships with adversarial
governments and foreign intelligence services;
(C) acquire land in proximity to United States
military installations and United States treaty allies'
and partners' military installations;
(D) leverage, collaborate with, or place foreign
nationals of concern in sensitive positions within
Indo-Pacific regional governments;
(E) undermine United States diplomatic engagement,
peacekeeping operations, and security cooperation
efforts throughout the world, with a priority on the
Indo-Pacific region;
(F) acquire territory or influence around critical
waterways; and
(G) construct militarily-capable infrastructure
such as airports;
(2) recommending policy options for the Federal Government,
Congress, and nongovernmental industry leaders to prevent and
penalize the scam operations described in subsection (a) that
are tied to international criminal organizations, which may
include the use of sanctions, civil asset forfeiture, and
action in cyberspace in defense of the United States, its
persons, assets, and interests against the scam networks
described in subsection (a), including--
(A) protecting Americans' personal data and
financial assets;
(B) safeguarding the sovereignty of United States
allies and partners; and
(C) securing United States military installations
and United States treaty allies' and partners' military
installations located near known or suspected scam
compounds;
(3) proposing a framework for a whole-of-society approach
to support disproportionately affected demographic groups,
communications platforms, States, and localities impacted by
the scam networks described in subsection (a), including
methods for timely dissemination of scam-related information
and protective guidance through publicly accessible Federal
facilities (including United States Postal Service locations,
Social Security Administration field offices, military
installations, and Department of Veterans Affairs facilities)
and comparable State and local venues;
(4) including an assessment and updates of the overall
scale of scam centers in Southeast Asia and recent trendlines;
(5) information about how the Chinese Government is
exploiting the problem of scam centers to expand its security
presence and influence in the region; and
(6) information about government bodies, individual
government officials, militias, and corporations in Southeast
Asia that have ties to transnational criminal organizations or
profit from scam centers.
(d) Implementation.--The task force shall assist in the
implementation of any recommendations or proposals contained in the
report submitted under subsection (c).
(e) Sunset.--The authority under this section shall sunset on the
date that is 5 years after the date on which the task force submits the
report under subsection (c).
<all>