Scam Farms Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act of 2025

The Scam Farms Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act of 2025 would authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal—a form of private military or paramilitary authorization historically used to sanction privateers—to target individuals who are part of or associated with criminal enterprises involved in cybercrimes. The bill frames cybercrime and related coercive labor as an extraordinary threat to U.S. security and economics, and it allows privately armed and equipped persons or entities designated by the President to seize persons and property outside U.S. borders if those individuals are deemed to be connected to cybercrime operations, including acts of aggression against the United States. It requires the posting of security bonds before such letters can be issued and provides a broad set of definitions for what constitutes cybercrime, explicitly including offenses like ransomware, identity theft, pig-butchering scams, and cryptocurrency theft, among others. The bill also explicitly includes foreign governments as potential members of a criminal enterprise. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 4988) on August 15, 2025 by Representative Schweikert and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. It cites constitutional authority to grant letters of marque and reprisal and describes the policy rationale in its findings section. This represents a drastic and controversial shift toward a privateer-style approach to cybercrime and would authorize extraterritorial action carried out by private individuals or entities under presidential designation.