US announces new visa restrictions to crack down on overseas fraud networks

The US government has unveiled a new visa restriction policy under the Immigration and Nationality Act, aimed at dismantling overseas criminal networks accused of defrauding Americans of billions of dollars. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced the measures stressing that it will apply not only to individuals directly involved in cybercrime but also to their immediate family members. Rubio said that the policy specially targets those complicit in cyberscams and extortion schemes, which have devastated American families and drained life savings. He also emphasised that the administration is deploying “every tool at our disposal—sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests, and international cooperation” to dismantle these networks and impose costs on perpetrators.New visa restriction policy’s link to President Donald Trump’s executive orderThe announcement made by the US government builds on President Donald Trump’s March executive order prioritizing prosecutions of cyber-enabled fraud and directing agencies to strengthen tools against transnational criminal organizations. The order warned that countries tolerating such schemes could face sanctions, visa restrictions, foreign aid limits, and expulsion of complicit officials. Trump described cybercrime as “draining American families of their life savings” and highlighted losses of more than $12.5 billion in 2024, with seniors hit hardest.Chinese criminal networks in spotlightAs reported by Epoch Times, Rubio’s statement pointed to Chinese transnational criminal organizations as orchestrators of “pig butchering” scams, in which victims are lured into fraudulent investments through fake online relationships. These groups allegedly defrauded US citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024, while fueling corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking. American children have also been targeted in sextortion scams, causing severe harm to families.Recent enforcement actionsThe Treasury Department in June sanctioned 35 individuals and entities linked to Cambodia’s Prince Group network, accused of running scam compounds using trafficked labor for cryptocurrency fraud. The Justice Department indicted the group’s chairman and moved to seize billions in bitcoin. Losses from cryptocurrency investment fraud alone reached $7.2 billion in 2025, according to FBI data.Rubio underscored that the visa restrictions are part of a broader campaign to protect Americans from predatory schemes. “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,” he said.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.