The United States government has introduced a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals involved in fraud, cybercrime, romance scams and sextortion schemes, with the measures also extending to their immediate family members.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the policy, saying it was aimed at individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cyber-enabled crimes targeting Americans.
The restrictions are being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the US government to deny visas to individuals whose activities could have serious adverse foreign policy consequences.
“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyber scams and sextortion,” Rubio said.
He added: “By restricting visa issuance to those who are responsible for or complicit in these criminal enterprises, we are sending a clear message: The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens.”
Rubio said the visa restrictions could also affect close relatives of individuals involved in online fraud activities.
“Immediate family members of individuals engaged in such illicit activities may also be subjected to visa restrictions,” he stated.
According to the US Secretary of State, the administration of President Donald Trump is using all available measures, including sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests and international law enforcement cooperation, to disrupt global scam networks.
“The Trump Administration is deploying every tool at our disposal, sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests, and international law enforcement cooperation, to dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them,” Rubio said.
He alleged that many online fraud operations are coordinated by Chinese transnational criminal organisations, which he said defrauded US citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 while contributing to corruption, money laundering and human trafficking.
Rubio also cited President Trump’s Executive Order 14390 on combating cybercrime and online fraud, saying the administration was taking stronger action against investment scams and sextortion networks.
“American children have also been specifically targeted by offenders operating overseas for sextortion scams, devastating families and futures,” he said.
The latest policy forms part of Washington’s broader efforts to combat the rising threat of online fraud, cyber-enabled crimes and transnational criminal networks operating across borders.
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