Chairman Mast, HFAC, Advances Bill to Crack Down on Foreign Scam Centers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced bipartisan legislation led by Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) to dismantle transnational criminal syndicates committing mass online scam operations against Americans, as part of a full committee markup.
Since 2023, hard-working Americans have lost billions of dollars at the hands of these scam syndicates and their corrupt governments that protect them. H.R. 5490, the Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act would protect Americans from these scams by establishing an interagency Task Force to shut down these transnational criminal syndicates.
“The FBI reports that Americans lost roughly $17 billion to scams in 2024, with Indiana being the second most targeted state per capita,” Rep. Shreve said. “This means real-world impacts for everyday Americans, my constituents and my colleagues. Families lose their homes, retirees see their savings vanish overnight, and countless innocent victims are left with little to nothing.“
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast added that these scam centers have become highly elaborate.
“The reality is, these scams … these organizations, they are incredibly sophisticated. They’re massive operations. They’re supported by their corrupt governments,” Chairman Mast said. “Think of the unimaginable loss suffered by someone who has been scammed out of their life savings.”
These criminal syndicates not only victimize Americans, but subject hundreds of thousands of human trafficking victims to forced labor in perpetrating these scams. Victims fall prey to false job advertisements before they’re taken hostage and forced to meet absurd scam quotas under fear of being tortured, or even killed.
“As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I’ve made it a priority to confront threats facing Americans from abroad – whether it’s rogue regimes, terrorist organizations, or in this case, ruthless criminal syndicates running massive online scam operations,” Chairman Mast said. “These foreign scammers are preying on hardworking families, seniors, and our veterans, stealing billions of dollars and destroying lives. That’s why I’m proud our committee passed H.R. 5490 today to hunt and shut down these criminal networks.”
The legislation, which has 11 cosponsors, advanced to the House floor alongside 9 other measures advanced as part of today’s markup.
The full list of measures include:
H.R. 5490 - Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act
H.R. 6297 - Protecting Europe from Antisemitic Crime and Extremism Act
H.R. 4291 - Sanctions Lists Harmonization Act
H.R. 1848 - Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act
H.R. 6347 - Global Child Thrive Reauthorization Act of 2025
H.R. 5021 - American Decade of Sports Act
H.R. 4413 - End the Cyprus Embargo Act
H.R. 6230 - Tehran Incitement to Violence Act
H.R. 4397 - Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025
H.R. 6338 - Stop Illegal Fishing Act
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