US Targets Cyberscam Networks With New Visa Ban, Family Members Also at Risk

The United States will deny visas to individuals responsible for or complicit in cyberscams and sextortion, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday, as the Trump administration escalates its campaign against online fraud that cost American citizens at least $10 billion in 2024 alone.

The new global visa restriction policy, issued under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, targets those involved in cyber-enabled crime including investment scams and sextortion schemes. Immediate family members of individuals engaged in such activities may also face visa restrictions under the policy.

Rubio said the measure was part of a broader toolkit the administration was deploying against criminal networks, alongside sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests and international law enforcement cooperation. "The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens," he said in a statement.

The announcement cited Executive Order 14390, signed by President Trump, on combating cybercrime, fraud and predatory schemes against American citizens. The administration said many of the scam operations are orchestrated by Chinese transnational criminal organisations, and pointed specifically to sextortion schemes that have targeted American children, causing what it described as devastating harm to families.

Online investment scams, often referred to as "pig butchering" schemes, typically involve fraudsters building trust with victims over weeks or months before persuading them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms. The $10 billion figure cited for 2024 reflects losses reported to US authorities, though actual losses are believed to be considerably higher given widespread under-reporting of fraud.

India Engaging with US

Washington is tightening visa rules, which could bar foreign students and exchange visitors from staying in the country for a longer duration. Last week on Friday, India informed that it was engaging US authorities to minimise difficulties faced by Indian nationals over American visa policies.

“As and when there are issues of difficulties, which are brought to our attention, in regard to genuine travellers [and] students, among others, who seek support from the US, we take up those issues with the US side so as to minimise the difficulties that our people face,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.