I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5900 
To direct the Department of Defense to establish a joint task force to 
investigate transnational cybercrimes, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 31, 2025 
Mr. VINDMAN (for himself and Mr. BAIRD) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Department of Defense to establish a joint 
task force to investigate transnational cybercrimes, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stopping Cross-border 
Attacks and Manipulation Act’’ or the ‘‘SCAM Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) According to estimates from the United 
States Institute of Peace, China-linked transnational 
organized crime (TOC) groups operating ‘‘fraud 
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farms’’ in Southeast Asia are stealing nearly 
$43,800,000,000 annually through digital scams. 
(2) These scams increasingly affect Americans, 
disproportionately targeting populations such as the 
elderly and socially isolated. 
(3) According to the Federal Trade Commission 
(FTC), in 2024 alone— 
(A) 246,783 scam text messages were re-
ported, resulting in $469,000,000 in losses to 
Americans; 
(B) 371,664 scam emails were reported, 
leading to $502,000,000 in losses to Americans; 
and 
(C) 284,651 scam phone calls were re-
ported, causing $948,000,000 in losses to 
Americans. 
(4) Transnational organized crime (TOC) 
groups maintain documented ties to the Chinese 
Communist Party (CCP). Chinese officials and 
state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have provided direct 
support for the construction and operation of TOC- 
linked facilities, raising serious concerns about a co-
ordinated campaign of foreign interference and sabo-
tage. 
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(5) The CCP’s involvement in TOC networks 
presents an urgent national security threat. These 
networks funnel financial assets and sensitive per-
sonal information of U.S. citizens to a hostile for-
eign power, undermining both American economic 
security and individual privacy. 
(6) These criminal networks have deeply embed-
ded themselves into Southeast Asian economies, ex-
erting destabilizing influence across the region. 
(7) Proceeds from these scams are used to fund 
warlords 
and 
fuel 
ongoing 
civil 
conflicts, 
compounding regional instability. 
(8) TOC networks have trafficked an estimated 
300,000 individuals into cyber scam operations 
across Southeast Asia. Victims, including United 
States citizens, are forced to work under conditions 
that the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review 
Commission compares to modern slavery. The 
United Nations has warned that human trafficking 
tied to these scam centers has reached the level of 
a humanitarian and human rights crisis. 
(9) The U.S.-China Economic and Security Re-
view Commission has acknowledged credible reports 
linking scam compounds in the Philippines to Chi-
nese espionage activity. These facilities are being 
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constructed near air bases strategically important to 
U.S. operations, including Clark Air Base and Basa 
Air Base, which is part of the Enhanced Defense 
Cooperation Agreement. The Philippine intelligence 
community has provided compelling evidence that 
these compounds have been used for surveillance and 
cyber intrusions. 
(10) The Chinese government has used the 
presence of Chinese TOC networks in Southeast 
Asia to pressure regional governments to allow a 
greater role for Chinese security forces. This effort 
threatens national sovereignty and regional stability. 
(11) TOC networks endanger American defense 
priorities as well as democracy, good governance, 
and stability around the world by co-opting local 
elites, undermining law enforcement, weakening 
state authority, and threatening the United States’ 
strategic interest in building a free and open Indo- 
Pacific. 
(12) An effective response by the United States 
Government will require a coordinated, whole-of-gov-
ernment effort that draws on the competencies of 
Federal agencies in information collection, financial 
enforcement, diplomatic engagement, defense and in-
telligence preparedness, and law enforcement. 
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SEC. 
3. 
JOINT 
TASK 
FORCE 
TO 
INVESTIGATE 
TRANSNATIONAL CYBERCRIMES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the head of U.S. Cyber Command 
and in coordination with the heads of other appro-
priate agencies, shall establish a joint task force to 
coordinate efforts to investigate, disrupt, and protect 
citizens of the United States from transnational 
cybercrimes and foreign-operated scam networks, in-
cluding fraudulent text and direct messing centers 
and other digital fraud schemes targeting citizens of 
the United States. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The task force shall, at a 
minimum, be composed of— 
(A) an official of the Department of State, 
including— 
(i) the Assistant Secretary for Emerg-
ing Threats; 
(ii) the Assistant Secretary for Inter-
national Narcotics and Law Enforcement; 
and 
(iii) the Assistant Secretary for De-
mocracy, Human Rights, and Labor; 
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(B) officials of the Department of Defense, 
including U.S. Cyber Command and the Na-
tional Mission Force; 
(C) an official of the Office of the Director 
of National Intelligence; 
(D) an official of the Federal Trade Com-
mission; 
(E) an official of the Federal Communica-
tions Commission; 
(F) officials of the Office of Foreign Assets 
Control and the Financial Crimes Enforcement 
Network of the Department of the Treasury; 
(G) officials of the Department of Justice, 
including officials from— 
(i) the Criminal Division, including 
the International Unit of the Money Laun-
dering and Asset Recovery Section; 
(ii) the Office of International Affairs; 
(iii) the National Security Division; 
and 
(iv) the Office of the Cyber Ambas-
sador; 
(H) an official of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Cen-
ter; 
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(I) representatives of State and local gov-
ernments that— 
(i) are leading efforts to counter 
cybercrimes; or 
(ii) are disproportionately affected by 
cybercrimes; and 
(J) representatives of relevant expert non- 
profit organizations. 
(3) LEADERSHIP.—The members of the task 
force, in consultation with the leadership of the De-
partment of Defense, may assign responsibility to an 
appropriate office within the Department of Defense 
to serve as the lead for the task force to coordinate 
the preparation and submission of the report re-
quired by subsection (c) and hold offices and agen-
cies responsible for implementation. 
(b) PRIORITY.—In carrying out its duties under sub-
section (a) and in preparing the report under subsection 
(c), the task force shall prioritize work related to scam 
operations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party in 
the Indo-Pacific region. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the task force established under 
subsection (a) shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
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Services of the House of Representatives and of the Sen-
ate a report— 
(1) identifying emerging trends related to the 
scam operations described in subsection (a) that are 
tied to international criminal organizations, includ-
ing efforts to— 
(A) scam and steal data from United 
States persons; 
(B) cultivate relationships with adversarial 
governments and foreign intelligence services; 
(C) acquire land in proximity to United 
States military installations and United States 
treaty allies’ and partners’ military installa-
tions; 
(D) leverage, collaborate with, or place for-
eign nationals of concern in sensitive positions 
within Indo-Pacific regional governments; 
(E) undermine United States diplomatic 
engagement, peacekeeping operations, and secu-
rity cooperation efforts throughout the world, 
with a priority on the Indo-Pacific region; 
(F) acquire territory or influence around 
critical waterways; and 
(G) construct militarily-capable infrastruc-
ture such as airports; 
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(2) recommending policy options for the Fed-
eral Government, Congress, and nongovernmental 
industry leaders to prevent and penalize the scam 
operations described in subsection (a) that are tied 
to international criminal organizations, which may 
include the use of sanctions, civil asset forfeiture, 
and action in cyberspace in defense of the United 
States, its persons, assets, and interests against the 
scam networks described in subsection (a), includ-
ing— 
(A) protecting Americans’ personal data 
and financial assets; 
(B) safeguarding the sovereignty of United 
States allies and partners; and 
(C) securing United States military instal-
lations and United States treaty allies’ and 
partners’ military installations located near 
known or suspected scam compounds; 
(3) proposing a framework for a whole-of-soci-
ety approach to support disproportionately affected 
demographic groups, communications platforms, 
States, and localities impacted by the scam networks 
described in subsection (a), including methods for 
timely dissemination of scam-related information 
and protective guidance through publicly accessible 
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Federal facilities (including United States Postal 
Service locations, Social Security Administration 
field offices, military installations, and Department 
of Veterans Affairs facilities) and comparable State 
and local venues; 
(4) including an assessment and updates of the 
overall scale of scam centers in Southeast Asia and 
recent trendlines; 
(5) information about how the Chinese Govern-
ment is exploiting the problem of scam centers to ex-
pand its security presence and influence in the re-
gion; and 
(6) information about government bodies, indi-
vidual government officials, militias, and corpora-
tions 
in 
Southeast 
Asia 
that 
have 
ties 
to 
transnational criminal organizations or profit from 
scam centers. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION.—The task force shall assist in 
the implementation of any recommendations or proposals 
contained in the report submitted under subsection (c). 
(e) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
sunset on the date that is 5 years after the date on which 
the task force submits the report under subsection (c). 
Æ 
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