WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has claimed his administration has significantly disrupted international scam networks, saying federal authorities have prevented at least $1.6 billion in potential losses this year by warning Americans targeted by online fraudsters.
According to a Reuters report, Trump made the remarks at a White House event focused on cybercrime prevention, where FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the agency had dismantled 20 scam compounds worldwide. Trump said law enforcement agencies had alerted more than 10,000 potential victims.
The announcement comes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, as online fraud and the rising cost of living remain concerns for American voters. According to an FBI report, Americans filed more than one million complaints about internet scams in 2025, marking a 17% increase from 2024.
The administration highlighted efforts to combat overseas cryptocurrency investment fraud. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said Trump had effectively declared cyber warfare against cybercriminals.
However, the administration’s anti-fraud campaign comes amid scrutiny of the Trump family’s cryptocurrency business interests. A Reuters investigation found that Trump and his sons had added at least $2.3 billion to their family fortune through major crypto ventures, while investors they had attracted had suffered losses of a comparable amount.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters that the president’s actions were taken in the best interests of the American people.
Trump also pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October 2025. Zhao had been convicted in connection with the cryptocurrency exchange’s failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering programme.
In March, Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to prioritise identifying and prosecuting online scammers. He later instructed the Department of Homeland Security to work with private companies to monitor foreign criminal hacking groups.
