President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that seeks to crack down on cybercrime, fraud, and online schemes that federal officials say are costing Americans billions of dollars each year.
The order, according to a White House fact sheet, directs federal agencies to intensify efforts against transnational criminal organizations that run scam operations targeting U.S. citizens, including phishing campaigns, ransomware attacks, financial fraud, and online extortion schemes.
It reflects a push to treat cyber-enabled fraud and online exploitation as major criminal enterprises rather than isolated scams and to use federal law enforcement, diplomatic pressure, and sanctions to disrupt the networks behind them.
Under the directive, the administration will develop a plan to identify the criminal networks responsible for large-scale cyber scams and determine new ways to disrupt and dismantle their operations.
The plan will examine operational, technical, diplomatic, and regulatory tools the federal government can use to combat cyber-enabled crime.
The order also calls for creating a dedicated operational cell within the National Coordination Center to coordinate federal responses and intelligence on cybercrime networks.
The directives instruct federal prosecutors to prioritize major cyber-enabled fraud cases and pursue the "most serious, provable offenses."
The Department of Homeland Security will work with state and local partners to strengthen defenses against cyber threats.
In addition, the Justice Department will study whether to establish a program that would return seized or forfeited funds from cybercriminals directly to victims.
The order also targets the international dimension of many scam operations.
It directs the State Department to press foreign governments to act against criminal networks operating within their borders and consider penalties — including sanctions, visa restrictions, limits on foreign assistance, or the expulsion of officials — against countries that tolerate such activity.
The effort is intended to disrupt a global ecosystem of cybercrime that increasingly targets Americans, especially older adults and minors.
According to federal data cited by the White House, Americans reported losing more than $12.5 billion to cyber-enabled fraud in 2024 alone. Surveys indicate roughly 73% of U.S. adults have experienced some form of online scam or cyberattack.
Officials also point to the growing threat of sextortion schemes, in which criminals coerce victims — often teenagers — into sending explicit images, then demand payment. One study found that 1 in 7 minors who experienced sextortion reported harming themselves as a result of the abuse.
The new order builds on earlier cybersecurity actions by the Trump administration.
Last June, Trump signed a separate executive order aimed at strengthening national cybersecurity and protecting critical digital infrastructure from foreign threats.
The administration has also supported legislation focused on online exploitation, including the bipartisan Take It Down Act signed last May, which targets the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images and deepfake abuse.
Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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