US: The bipartisan SCAM Act is passed by the Senate to combat international fraud networks
US: As senators warned of an increasing danger from cyber-enabled fraud linked to transnational criminal networks, the US Senate enacted a bipartisan measure targeted at destroying international scam operations that target Americans, especially elderly people.
According to Senate Special Committee on Aging chairman Senator Rick Scott, the measure, officially known as the Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization (SCAM) Act, aims to improve collaboration among US government authorities and destroy scam compounds that operate abroad. According to a press release, it also strengthens global alliances and holds transnational criminal organizations responsible for forced criminality and people trafficking connected to fraud schemes.
The measure, according to Scott’s office, addresses what senators called a “exploding threat” of foreign-based frauds that defraud Americans of billions of dollars annually and increasingly take advantage of vulnerable groups.
Scott said, “We need to do more to hold criminals in Communist China and around the world accountable for their scam operations and targeting of innocent Americans.” “By guaranteeing that our law enforcement agencies have the tools necessary to prevent this abuse, the SCAM Act is an essential step toward protecting our seniors and every American affected.”
“I’m grateful to work with my colleagues on this bipartisan solution and urge my colleagues in the House to pass it quickly so we can protect the American people,” Scott said, urging the House of Representatives to act swiftly.
Senators from both parties supported the bill, citing the increasing complexity of global fraud networks and their connections to human trafficking and coercion.
According to Senator John Cornyn, the proposal is specifically targeted at organized crime networks that coerce people into taking part in scams that target Americans. “We must hold accountable transnational criminal organizations that are entangling innocent victims and forcing them to defraud Americans,” he said. “This legislation would take strategic steps to protect Americans and their pocketbooks and combat the growing threat of cyber scams posed by criminals connected to China and other bad actors.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen emphasized the extent of the scams’ human and financial costs. “Criminal operations abroad are draining billions of dollars from Americans annually and trafficking people into forced criminality in scam centers,” she said.
In order to combat fraud directed at senior citizens, Scott and the Senate Aging Committee have been working on the SCAM Act for years. According to his office, since frauds have gotten more sophisticated in terms of technology, including the use of deepfake technology and artificial intelligence, the chairman has concentrated on enhancing government responses and bolstering supervision.
The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act, the STOP Scammers Act, the GUARD Act, and the National Slam the Scam Day Resolution are just a few of the legislative proposals that Scott has introduced as part of this effort. He has also led the bipartisan 2025 Fraud Report and organized a congressional field hearing in Florida.
In order to help families identify, report, and recover from fraud, he has also introduced the committee’s toll-free Fraud Hotline, which aims to provide access to education, preventative resources, and direct assistance.
Senators Pete Ricketts, James Lankford, Tammy Duckworth, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, and Tim Kaine are co-sponsors of the measure. Citing the legislation’s emphasis on elder protection and bolstering enforcement against global fraud networks, advocacy organization AARP has approved it.
The SCAM Act, if passed into law, would represent one of the most extensive legislative initiatives in the United States to address scam compounds that operate overseas, a problem that has garnered growing interest from lawmakers and law enforcement.