COMBATING CYBERCRIME, FRAUD, AND PREDATORY SCHEMES AGAINST AMERICAN CITIZENS

This Executive Order, signed by President Donald J. Trump, establishes a comprehensive federal strategy to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) engaged in cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes such as ransomware, sextortion, and "scam centers."

The order characterizes these activities as a "shadow economy" often supported by foreign regimes and directs the government to utilize law enforcement, diplomacy, and potential offensive actions to protect American citizens.

Key mandates of the Executive Order include:

• • Establishment of a Cyber-Enabled Crime Operational Cell: The order creates a dedicated unit within the National Coordination Center (NCC). This cell will lead federal efforts to detect, disrupt, and deter foreign TCOs by coordinating intelligence and operational insights from both the government and the private cybersecurity sector.

  • 120-Day Action Plan: A group of cabinet-level officials (including the Secretaries of State, Treasury, War, and Homeland Security, and the Attorney General) must submit a formal plan to identify and dismantle specific TCOs responsible for cyber-enabled predatory schemes.

  • Victim Restoration Program: The Attorney General is directed to develop a recommendation for a new program that would use funds seized or forfeited from TCOs to provide restitution directly to victims of cyber-fraud.

  • Diplomatic Consequences and Sanctions: The Secretary of State is ordered to pressure foreign governments to take enforcement actions against TCOs on their soil. Nations that tolerate these criminal networks face specific penalties, including:

    • • Targeted sanctions and visa restrictions.

      • Limitations on foreign assistance and trade penalties.

      • The immediate expulsion of foreign officials or diplomats found to be complicit in these schemes.

  • Support for Local Partners: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will provide training and threat intelligence to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners to harden critical infrastructure against exploitation.

  • Prioritizing Prosecution: The Department of Justice is instructed to prioritize the prosecution of defendants involved in "scam centers" and sextortion, focusing on the most serious provable offenses.

The administration’s stated goal is to harden the nation's digital and financial systems while delivering a "commensurate response" to those who target vulnerable Americans.