Yasin Gungor
23 July 2026•Update: 23 July 2026
The US on Thursday launched a new global visa restriction policy to target individuals responsible for cyberscams and sextortion, citing an "unprecedented threat" to American citizens.
“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
He noted that the restrictions, implemented under the Immigration and Nationality Act, will also apply to the immediate family members of those involved in these illicit activities.
Rubio highlighted that online investment scams, which he said are often orchestrated by "Chinese transnational criminal organizations," defrauded US citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 alone, while "fueling corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking." Rubio expressed particular concern regarding "sextortion scams" that target American children from overseas.
"The Trump Administration is deploying every tool at our disposal—sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests, and international law enforcement cooperation—to dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them," Rubio emphasized.
