US Executive Order on Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens

Yesterday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes against American Citizens that contains six sections. Th White House Fact Sheet of this executive order is available here

Core Objectives

The order prioritizes disrupting transnational criminal networks operating scam centers, ransomware operations, and phishing campaigns that exploit Americans. It emphasizes a whole-of-government strategy integrating law enforcement, diplomacy, technology, and victim support to restore funds and enhance resilience.

Key Aspects of the EO

– It directs relevant Administration officials to conduct a comprehensive review to determine what operational, technical, diplomatic, and regulatory tools could be improved to combat transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) engaged in cyber-enabled crime and predatory schemes.

– It requires the submission of an action plan that identifies the TCOs responsible for scam centers and cybercrime and proposes solutions to prevent, disrupt, investigate, and dismantle their operations—including through the establishment of a dedicated operational cell within the National Coordination Center (NCC).

– It directs the Attorney General to prioritize prosecutions of cyber-enabled fraud and scam schemes, pursuing the most serious, provable offenses.

– It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to partner with the NCC to provide training, technical assistance, and resilience building against cyber threats for State and local partners.

– It directs the Attorney General to submit a recommendation regarding the establishment of a Victims Restoration Program to return seized or forfeited funds from fraudsters directly to victims.

– It directs the Secretary of State to engage with foreign governments regarding demands to take enforcement action against TCOs on their soil and to impose consequences—including sanctions, visa restrictions, foreign assistance limits, and expulsion of complicit officials—on nations that tolerate these predatory schemes.

This Executive Order builds on prior Trump cybersecurity executive orders to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity by focusing on critical protections against foreign cyber threats and enhancing secure technology practices.

Interestingly, the EO demands foreign governments shut down scam centers, wielding sanctions, visa restrictions, and aid cuts as leverage—potentially straining ties with non-compliant nations like those in Southeast Asia but fostering cooperation via shared enforcement goals. This approach could have the potential to boost and strengthen global legal frameworks against cybercrime if allies align, though unilateral U.S. pressure.

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