I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5490 
To establish an interagency Task Force to dismantle and shut down 
transnational criminal syndicates perpetuating mass online scam oper-
ations against Americans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 
Mr. SHREVE (for himself, Mr. MOOLENAAR, and Mr. RULLI) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To establish an interagency Task Force to dismantle and 
shut down transnational criminal syndicates perpetuating 
mass online scam operations against Americans. 
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 ‘‘Dismantle Foreign 
Scam Syndicates Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) During the COVID–19 pandemic, Chinese 
criminal organizations active in Southeast Asia 
pivoted to a new and potent form of financial scam 
involving elaborate fraudulent online cryptocurrency 
investment schemes. 
(2) The most common form of such financial 
scam is known as ‘‘pig butchering’’, Chinese crimi-
nal slang that describes how scammers develop a vir-
tual relationship inducing them to invest ever larger 
sums into phony platforms, serving to ‘fatten’ their 
victims for the slaughter. 
(3) Crime syndicates use the forced labor of 
hundreds of thousands of victims of human traf-
ficking to perpetrate such scams. 
(4) These victims themselves fall prey to false 
job advertisements before they are taken to a com-
pound and forced to meet aggressive scam quotas 
under pain of violent punishment if they refuse. 
(5) These so-called ‘‘scam centers’’ are most 
prevalent across Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, cor-
rupt and repressive countries where transparency is 
absent, rule of law is anemic and checks and bal-
ances are non-existent, and often operate as joint 
ventures between the Chinese criminal groups orga-
nizations and the autocratic governments. 
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(6) Since 2021, these scams have increasingly 
targeted Americans, robbing thousands of their life 
savings and enriching and entrenching transnational 
criminal syndicates and corrupt leaders in Cam-
bodia, Laos and Burma. 
(7) American losses to these scams grew by 33 
percent year-on-year in 2024. 
(8) According to the Department of Treasury, 
Americans lost at least $10,000,000,000 from these 
operations in 2024 alone. 
(9) Global losses are estimated to be higher 
than $60,000,000,000 annually. 
(10) The true dollar amount of losses to these 
scams is estimated to be much higher as many in-
stances go unreported. 
(11) Troubling links exist between the People’s 
Republic of China, Chinese criminal scam syn-
dicates, and the corrupt local politicians enabling 
their rise. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to com-
prehensively combat the transnational organized criminals 
operating human trafficking compounds primarily in 
Southeast Asia to perpetrate large-scale online scams 
against the American people. 
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SEC. 4. TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 
establish an interagency Task Force responsible for lead-
ing a whole-of-government effort to dismantle and shut 
down transnational criminal syndicates perpetuating mass 
online scam operations against Americans through the op-
eration of large-scale scam compounds fueled by the forced 
labor of victims of trafficking in persons. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall— 
(1) not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, develop and submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a comprehen-
sive United States Government strategy to shut 
down online scam centers, prevent their further pro-
liferation, disrupt and dismantle transnational crimi-
nal entities and human traffickers involved in oper-
ating such centers, and hold accountable corrupt of-
ficials, state, and non-state actors enabling such en-
tities and traffickers for the purpose of incentivizing 
cooperation; and 
(2) coordinate and oversee implementation of 
such strategy. 
(c) LEADERSHIP
AND COMPOSITION.—The Task 
Force shall— 
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(1) be chaired by the Secretary of State (or the 
Secretary’s designee); 
(2) meet on a regular basis at the call of the 
Chair; and 
(3) be comprised of the heads (or the heads’ 
designees) of— 
(A) the Department of State, including the 
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law En-
forcement Affairs, the Bureau of East Asian 
and Pacific Affairs, and the Office to Monitor 
and Combat Trafficking in Persons; 
(B) the Department of Justice, including 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
(C) the Department of Homeland Security, 
including the U.S. Secret Service and Home-
land Security Investigations; and 
(D) the Department of the Treasury, in-
cluding the Office of Terrorism and Financial 
Intelligence, the Office of Foreign Assets Con-
trol, and Financial Crimes Enforcement Net-
work. 
(d) FURTHER COMPOSITION.—The heads (or the 
heads’ designees) of the following entities are authorized 
to be members of the Task Force: 
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(1) The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commis-
sion. 
(2) The Federal Trade Commission. 
(3) The Federal Communications Commission. 
(4) Any other department, agency, or entity the 
President determines to be relevant. 
(e) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The intelligence 
community is authorized to provide support to the Task 
Force. 
(f) INFORMATION SHARING.—To ensure proper co-
ordination and effective interagency action, each Federal 
department or agency represented on the Task Force shall 
fully share— 
(1) all relevant data with the Task Force; and 
(2) all information regarding the department or 
agency’s plans, before and after final agency deci-
sions are made, on all matters relating to actions re-
garding combating online scams. 
(g) CONSULTATION.—The Task Force or representa-
tives thereof shall— 
(1) consult quarterly with United States State 
and local law enforcement entities and stakeholder 
organizations with firsthand expertise in reporting 
and combatting online scam operations, cyberscams 
known as ‘‘pig butchering scams’’, and other kinds 
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of cyberscams, and recovering stolen crypto assets, 
and incorporate their feedback and recommendations 
to the maximum extent feasible; 
(2) consult regularly with U.S. non-govern-
mental organizations with expertise in countering 
trafficking in persons or anti-corruption, as appro-
priate; and 
(3) develop partnerships with relevant private 
sector actors, including banks, social media plat-
forms, online dating applications, telecommunication 
carriers, cryptocurrency exchanges, internet service 
providers, applications stores, search engines, and 
search optimization companies, for the purpose of 
better disrupting the enabling infrastructure of scam 
compounds, operations, and syndicates. 
(h) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the 
date that is seven years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 5. ELEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The strategy required by section 
1(b)(1) shall incorporate the following objectives: 
(1) Bringing pressure to bear on foreign gov-
ernments, in coordination with allies and partners to 
the greatest extent possible, that are complicit in, 
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tolerant of, or uncooperative in combatting online 
scam operations. 
(2) Investigating the People’s Republic of Chi-
na’s (PRC) involvement in the origin and perpetua-
tion of online scam operations, including through 
links between Chinese Communist Party officials 
and criminal organizations, deepening regional secu-
rity 
influence, 
and 
selective 
crackdowns 
that 
incentivize the targeting of Americans. 
(3) Investigating the Burmese military’s in-
volvement in allowing, neglecting, and profiting from 
online scam operations in Burma, and the impor-
tance of resolving the instability and violence in 
Burma to stop the unfettered operation of scam cen-
ters in Burma. 
(4) Responding comprehensively to PRC com-
plicity in and instrumentalization of online scam op-
erations. 
(5) Reducing the power, influence, and scope of 
transnational criminal organizations and operations 
in Southeast Asia and wherever else they may prop-
agate. 
(6) Building the capacity of trusted foreign law 
enforcement partners to degrade, disrupt, and shut 
down online scam centers and prevent their pro-
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liferation, including through training in digital 
forensics, anti-money laundering, and border patrol. 
(7) Building the capacity of trusted foreign law 
enforcement partners to screen for and protect vic-
tims of trafficking in persons in a trauma-informed 
manner, prosecute traffickers, and prevent traf-
ficking into online scam centers, including through 
public awareness campaigns. 
(8) Imposing sanctions or other relevant des-
ignations, comprehensively and in coordination with 
allies and partners to the greatest extent possible, on 
the perpetrators and enablers of online scams, using 
relevant transnational organized crime, corruption, 
human rights, and trafficking in persons authorities. 
(9) Advocating for the greylisting or black-
listing, as appropriate, of countries involved in state- 
sponsored scam operations, including Cambodia, at 
the Financial Action Task Force. 
(10) Harnessing offensive cyber capabilities to 
degrade online scam centers’ operations. 
(11) Recovering and returning stolen assets of 
defrauded United States persons. 
(12) Integrating data collection, analysis, and 
response mechanisms across Federal, State, and 
local agencies, including by assessing if any existing 
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relevant Fusion Centers could be leveraged to com-
bat online scam centers. 
(13) Convening a coalition of like-minded for-
eign allies and partners to combat online scam cen-
ters, including through the establishment of similar 
task forces or working groups, the compilation and 
sharing of data, and collaboration regarding the in-
dictment of key actors and enablers. 
(b) MEASURABLE INDICATORS.—The Task Force 
shall develop measurable indicators of the success of the 
strategy required by section 1731(b)(1), which may in-
clude persons sanctioned, arrest warrants or indictments 
issued, arrests made, U.S. losses mitigated, and the num-
ber of victims of trafficking in persons rescued, and known 
scam centers reduced, in comparison to the previous year. 
SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 360 days after the 
date of the submission of the strategy required by section 
1(b)(1), and annually thereafter for five years, the Task 
Force shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report that includes, for the previous year the 
following: 
(1) A list of all foreign persons sanctioned by 
the United States for being responsible for, complicit 
in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or other-
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wise directing, online financial scams against United 
States nationals. 
(2) For the foreign persons listed in paragraph 
(1), an assessment and review of their ongoing in-
volvement in the operation of scam centers, includ-
ing an identification of entities in particular from 
within the People’s Republic of China that aid or 
abet such foreign persons. 
(3) An estimate of how much money was stolen 
from United States nationals through scams ema-
nating from online scam centers, including as a per-
centage of the estimated total amount stolen 
through such scams globally. 
(4) An estimate of how many stolen funds were 
intercepted, seized, or returned. 
(5) An estimate of how many victims of traf-
ficking in persons were employed in online scam cen-
ters. 
(6) An estimate of the total number of people 
involved in operating or supporting the operation of 
scam centers. 
(7) A list of known online scam centers. 
(8) A description of if, where, and how online 
scam centers and operations have proliferated glob-
ally. 
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(9) Recommendations on the kinds of programs 
the Department of State should support in order to 
effectively implement the strategy described in sub-
section (c), including the level of appropriations such 
programs would require. 
(10) Any other measures the Task Force deter-
mines appropriate to include. 
(b) FORM.—Each report submitted pursuant to sub-
section (a) shall be unclassified but may include a classi-
fied annex. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—The Task Force shall consult 
regularly with the appropriate congressional committees 
on its efforts to implement the strategy required by section 
1(b)(1), including potential updates. Such consultations 
should include descriptions of the Task Force’s periodic 
consultations with local law enforcement agencies and civil 
society organizations and any incorporated recommenda-
tions, as well as recommendations for strengthening the 
Task Force’s capability to effectively shut down online 
scam centers, dismantle criminal scam organizations, and 
recoup stolen U.S. assets. Such consultations may take the 
form of briefings. 
SEC. 7. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS. 
(a) DETERMINATION, IMPOSITION, AND REPORT RE-
QUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
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enactment of this Act, the President shall, in accordance 
with the strategy required by section 1(b)(1)— 
(1) determine whether each foreign person list-
ed in subsection (d) meets the statutory criteria for 
the imposition of sanctions under one or more of the 
sanctions programs and authorities listed in sub-
section (c); 
(2) pursuant to paragraph (1), impose applica-
ble sanctions against such foreign persons deter-
mined to meet such criteria for imposition of sanc-
tions; and 
(3) submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report containing— 
(A) a list of all foreign persons determined 
to meet such criteria; and 
(B) for any foreign person listed in sub-
section (d) that is not determined to meet the 
criteria for the imposition of sanctions under 
one or more of the sanctions programs and au-
thorities listed in subsection (c), a complete jus-
tification of such a non-determination or deci-
sion to otherwise not apply the sanctions au-
thorized by such sanctions programs and au-
thorities. 
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(b) WAIVER.—The President may waive the imposi-
tion of sanctions with respect to a foreign person listed 
in subsection (d) on or after the date that is 15 days after 
the President— 
(1) determines that such a waiver is vital to the 
national security interests of the United States; and 
(2) submits to the appropriate congressional 
committees the reasons for that determination. 
(c) APPLICABLE SANCTIONS.—The sanctions listed in 
this subsection are the sanctions described in the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Sections 1262 through 1264 of the Global 
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 
U.S.C. 10101 et seq.). 
(2) Section 111 of the Trafficking Victims Pro-
tection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7108). 
(3) 
Executive 
Order 
13581, 
relating 
to 
Transnational Criminal Organization Sanctions. 
(d) FOREIGN PERSONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The foreign persons listed in 
this subsection are the following: 
(A) Aik Paung. 
(B) Benjamin Mauerberger. 
(C) Chen Xiuling. 
(D) D. Chen Zhi. 
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(E) Chou Bun Eng. 
(F) Dy Vichea. 
(G) Edward Lee. 
(H) Gabriel Tan. 
(I) Honn Sorachna. 
(J) Hun To. 
(K) Ing Dara. 
(L) Kok An. 
(M) Kuoch Chamrouen. 
(N) Li Xiong. 
(O) Long Dimanche. 
(P) Ma Dongli. 
(Q) Michael Chiam. 
(R) Mote Thun. 
(S) Neth Savoeun. 
(T) Rithy Raksmei. 
(U) Sai Aung Lin. 
(V) Sai Kyaw Hla. 
(W) Sar Sokha. 
(X) Saw Min Min Oo. 
(Y) Su Zhongkian. 
(Z) Yan Borith. 
(AA) Yan Narong. 
(BB) Yan Sathya. 
(CC) Yim Leak. 
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(DD) Yu Jianjun. 
(EE) Yu Lingxiong. 
(FF) Zhong Baojia (also known as Wang 
Qiang). 
(GG) 9 Dynasty. 
(HH) Dongmei Group. 
(II) Fully Light Group of Companies, 
LTD. 
(JJ) Hongmen World Cultural and Histor-
ical Association. 
(KK) Huione Group. 
(LL) K99 Group. 
(MM) Prince Group Holding Company. 
(NN) Trans-Asia International Holding 
Group. 
(OO) Union Development Group. 
(PP) White Sands Palace Casino. 
(QQ) Xinwang International. 
(RR) Any person, organization, or entity 
determined by the President, based on credible 
evidence, to be responsible for, complicit in, or 
responsible for ordering, controlling, or other-
wise directing, online financial scams against 
United States nationals, including those scams 
originating from compounds in Southeast Asia 
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