On Thursday, July 24th, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sweeping new visa restrictions aimed at foreign nationals responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and cyber-enabled crimes. The policy specifically targets individuals involved in cyberscams, online investment fraud, and sextortion.

Rubio stated, "This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyberscams, and sextortion." The restrictions may also apply to certain immediate family members of those covered by the policy.

Highlighting the scale of the issue, Rubio noted that scams often orchestrated by Chinese transnational criminal organizations have defrauded U.S. citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 alone, while also fueling corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking. He added that American children have been specifically targeted by offenders overseas in sextortion scams, causing devastating impacts on families.

The administration is employing a broad range of tools to combat these threats, including sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests, and international law enforcement cooperation. Rubio emphasized the commitment to dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting foreign scam centers, transnational criminal organizations, and cyber-enabled financial fraud, reinforcing the government's stance against such crimes.

Additional voices in the fight against fraud include Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, who highlighted the Trump administration's efforts resulting in tens of billions in prevented payments and hundreds of indictments. Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito warned that H-1B visa fraud is linked to international criminal gangs and human trafficking, underscoring the severity of these schemes.

Sources