Washington: The US Senate has passed a bipartisan bill aimed at dismantling foreign scam operations that target Americans, particularly senior citizens, as lawmakers warned of an escalating threat from cyber-enabled fraud tied to transnational criminal networks.
The legislation, formally titled the Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilisation (SCAM) Act, seeks to disrupt scam compounds operating overseas and strengthen coordination among US federal agencies, said Senate Special Committee on Aging chairman Senator Rick Scott. It also expands international partnerships and holds transnational criminal organisations accountable for human trafficking and forced criminality linked to fraud schemes, a media release said.
According to Scott’s office, the bill responds to what lawmakers described as an “exploding threat” of foreign-based scams that drain billions of dollars from Americans every year and increasingly exploit vulnerable populations.
“We must do more to hold criminals in Communist China and around the globe who are targeting innocent Americans and conducting scam operations accountable,” Scott said. “The SCAM Act is a critical step toward protecting our seniors and every American impacted by ensuring our law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to stop this abuse.”
Scott urged swift action by the House of Representatives, adding, “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.”
Support for the legislation cut across party lines, with senators from both parties pointing to the growing sophistication of international fraud rings and their links to coercion and human trafficking.
Senator John Cornyn said the measure was aimed squarely at organised criminal networks that force individuals to participate in scam operations targeting Americans. “Transnational criminal organisations that are ensnaring innocent victims and coercing them into defrauding Americans must be held accountable,” he said. “This legislation would take strategic steps to combat the growing threat of cyber scams posed by criminals connected to China and other bad actors and safeguard Americans and their pocketbooks.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen highlighted the scale of the financial damage and the human cost behind the schemes. “Criminal operations overseas are trafficking people into forced criminality in scam centres and draining billions from Americans every year,” she said.
The SCAM Act builds on years of work by Scott and the Senate Aging Committee to address fraud targeting older Americans. His office said the chairman has focused on strengthening oversight and improving federal responses as scams have become more technologically advanced, including through the use of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
As part of that effort, Scott has led the bipartisan 2025 Fraud Report, convened a congressional field hearing in Florida, and introduced multiple legislative proposals, including the STOP Scammers Act, the GUARD Act, the National Strategy for Combating Scams Act, and the National Slam the Scam Day Resolution.
He has also announced the committee’s toll-free Fraud Hotline, designed to expand access to education, prevention tools, and direct support to help families recognise, report, and recover from fraud.
The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Pete Ricketts, James Lankford, Tammy Duckworth, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, and Tim Kaine. Advocacy group AARP has endorsed the legislation, citing its focus on protecting seniors and strengthening enforcement against international fraud networks.
If enacted into law, the SCAM Act would mark one of the most comprehensive US legislative efforts to confront scam compounds operating abroad, an issue that has drawn increasing attention from law enforcement agencies and policymakers.
(IANS)
