The U.S. has announced a new visa restriction policy targeting fraudsters, cyberscamers and sextortionists defrauding Americans, as well as their immediate family members.

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, announced the new global visa restriction policy on Thursday under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyberscams and sextortion,” Mr Rubio said.

“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 added.

The new visa restriction policy will, by extension, target family members of fraudsters and romance scammers.

Mr Rubio said, “Immediate family members of individuals engaged in such illicit activities may also be subjected to visa restrictions.

“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.”

The U.S. Secretary of State added, “Often orchestrated by Chinese transnational criminal organisations, scammers have defrauded U.S. citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 alone while fueling corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking.” 

According to Mr Rubio, President Donald Trump made it clear in Executive Order 14390 on Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes against American Citizens that his administration is taking action to counter an unprecedented threat from online investment scams. 

“American children have also been specifically targeted by offenders operating overseas for sextortion scams, devastating families and futures,” Mr Rubio said.