Statement on new executive order to combat fraud and scams

This statement is in response to breaking news. Please contact pr@rstreet.org to speak with the scholar.

In response to the news of the Trump administration’s plan to combat fraud and scams through an executive order, R Street scholars Caroline Melear, resident fellow with our finance, insurance, and trade program, and Haiman Wong, a resident fellow with our technology and innovation program and a cybersecurity expert, have released the following statement:

“The R Street Institute applauds efforts from the Trump administration to address the growing threat of cyber-enabled consumer scams and fraud. Recognizing these schemes as a matter of justice and security for everyday Americans is an essential and long overdue step, particularly as transnational criminal organizations increasingly operate sophisticated scam networks that target citizens and steal money at scale.

The executive order aptly acknowledges the growing convergence of cybersecurity, consumer protection, and public safety. Today’s scam operations increasingly resemble industrialized criminal enterprises—combining social engineering, data exploitation, and global financial infrastructure to tailor their tactics to individual targets and move stolen funds across borders. In many cases, these proceeds ultimately flow through financial networks tied to adversarial states and criminal ecosystems abroad, underscoring why scam prevention should increasingly be viewed through a national security lens.

This issue presents a meaningful opportunity for the administration to deliver measurable progress against transnational cybercrime. The federal government, in particular, has a vital role to play in protecting Americans and we support any efforts which effectively balance the protection of Americans with the appropriate enforcement and deterrence actions on transnational criminal organizations and other complicit parties. Success will depend on sustained collaboration and coordination across law enforcement, technological, financial, and diplomatic efforts, as well as a mindset shift toward recognizing scam victims as targets of sophisticated criminal operations rather than blaming individuals for highly engineered attacks.”