By April Hill
President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order on Friday to combat scams that are taking billions of dollars from American families.
The order requires Administration officials to come up with an action plan that identifies the transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) who are responsible for using human trafficking victims to take money from U.S. citizens.
The move directs the secretary of Homeland Security to engage with foreign governments and to impose consequences—including sanctions, visa restrictions, foreign assistance limits, and expulsion of complicit officials on nations that tolerate these predatory schemes.
President Trump also directed 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.
Trump talked about taking action to fight scams during his last campaign.
- In 2024, American consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to cyber-enabled fraud, with seniors on average losing the most.
- 73% of U.S. adults have experienced some kind of online scam or attack, and 87% of seniors view online scams and attacks as a major problem.
