U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is calling on Congress to pass a package of bills aimed at cracking down on scammers who defraud and exploit Americans, including seniors who have increasingly been targeted through phone scams, cybercrime and artificial intelligence.
Scott said the legislation is part of a broader push to combat fraud and hold criminals accountable.
“Whether it’s in the form of phone calls or sophisticated cybercrime, scammers are running rampant through our country,” Scott said. “Criminals are weaponizing new technologies like artificial intelligence to swindle Americans out of their life savings. These criminals must be stopped and held accountable. These bills will go a long way to turn the tide on the scam epidemic. These are all commonsense solutions to a glaring problem; let’s get to work.”
The package includes the Strengthening Targeting of Organized Predatory Scammers Act, or STOP Scammers Act, which would direct the U.S. Treasury Department to identify and designate foreign entities engaged in financial fraud against Americans as “Foreign Financial Threat Organizations.” Once designated, those organizations would face asset freezes and restrictions similar to those imposed on global terrorist groups.
Scott is also backing the Secure America’s Finance Exchanges Act, or SAFE Act, which would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to implement specific disclosure requirements for Chinese-based companies seeking access to U.S. exchanges through initial public offerings.
Another bill, the Trusted Foreign Auditing Act, would require Chinese companies to use independent auditors not controlled by the Communist Party. Supporters say the measure is intended to protect U.S. investors and American capital from companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
The package also includes the ReportScams.gov Act, which would create a centralized online hub for Americans to report scams and get help after being targeted by fraudsters.
Scott, who chairs the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, recently issued an annual fraud report that found scams cost seniors more than $4.8 billion in 2024. Many of those scams, according to Scott’s office, involved artificial intelligence.
Scott and other lawmakers also sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran urging federal agencies to coordinate efforts to dismantle foreign networks behind international financial scams.
Scott’s office said reporting scams and fraud remains complicated because reports are currently spread across 13 federal agencies, leaving many victims without a clear path for getting help.
The Florida Republican has also focused on financial threats linked to China. In April 2025, Scott released a bill package aimed at closing sanctions loopholes and creating new disclosure requirements to keep American dollars away from companies tied to Communist China.
