The Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement and the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Apr. 24 to examine how transnational criminal organizations are using new technologies to target Americans, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
The issue is important because witnesses said that criminal networks are increasingly turning to cyber-enabled financial crimes, which put American financial systems, public safety, and sectors like healthcare at risk. They agreed that the United States needs to use innovation to stay ahead of these threats, improve coordination between the public and private sectors, share information more effectively, and enforce tougher penalties against cybercrime.
Subcommittee Chairman Michael Guest said that digital platforms allow criminal organizations to steal from Americans and fund their illegal activities. “Most Americans have encountered some sort of scam enabled by technology. These scams often target our aging and elderly families and constituents – seeking to drain their life savings and retirement plans using emotional manipulation tactics. In 2025 alone, scammers stole more than $20 billion from Americans,” Guest said. He also noted the increasing use of cryptocurrency by Mexican drug trafficking organizations for money laundering.
Andy Ogles, chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, described online scams as being run by sophisticated international groups with links to China and Russia. “What is happening to Americans right now is an industrial-scale criminal campaign… These operations combine cyber fraud, money laundering, cryptocurrency manipulation… human trafficking and forced labor,” Ogles said.
Witness Megan Stifel urged Congress not to let key cybersecurity laws expire: “This committee has produced effective legislation that has improved the nation’s cybersecurity posture; it should not be allowed to expire.” She called for reauthorization of both the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 as well as the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2021.
Other witnesses discussed how criminals use artificial intelligence (AI) for scams. Cynthia Kaiser testified: “It’s easier to lie with AI… It’s easier to make convincing emails with malicious links… Advanced adversaries are integrating AI.” Ari Redbord added: “Our adversaries are using it at scale… We need to move as fast as those bad actors.”
The hearing also addressed partnerships between government agencies and private companies in fighting these crimes. Redbord said: “I think it’s the real key here to solving this is working really closely together.” Witnesses stressed that evolving threats require both defensive strategies against foreign state actors such as Iran or North Korea—and practical advice for citizens about protecting themselves from digital scams.
