SCAM Act

This bill directs the Department of Defense to establish a joint task force to investigate transnational cybercrimes, particularly scam networks tied to the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific region, and requires a report with recommendations within one year. The task force will sunset five years after submitting the report.

Sec. 3, Joint task force to investigate transnational cybercrimes: The Secretary of Defense, through U.S. Cyber Command and in coordination with other agencies, must establish a joint task force to coordinate efforts to investigate, disrupt, and protect U.S. citizens from transnational cybercrimes and foreign-operated scam networks, including fraudulent text and messaging centers. The task force includes officials from the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Treasury, and others, as well as state and local governments and expert non-profits. It must prioritize work related to scam operations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific region. Within one year of enactment, the task force must submit a report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees identifying emerging trends, recommending policy options (including sanctions, civil asset forfeiture, and cyber action), proposing a whole-of-society framework to support affected groups, assessing the scale of scam centers, and detailing Chinese government exploitation of the problem. The task force will assist in implementing recommendations and sunsets five years after submitting the report.