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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

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Visas · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

State moves to bar 32 people tied to Prince Group scam network

The File desk · Sep. 22, 2026, 6:23 a.m. ET

Confirmed1 primary sources

Status

Confirmed (State Department press statement, Sept. 21, 2026)
On Sept. 21, 2026, the State Department said it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 32 individuals responsible for or complicit in defrauding Americans through cybercrime and related activity. Most of those targeted, the statement says, are affiliated with the Prince Group, a transnational criminal organization already hit by earlier U.S. sanctions. The department says valid visas for those named have been revoked. It cites , which lets the Secretary of State keep someone out when entry would seriously hurt U.S. foreign-policy interests. The department says Southeast Asian scam networks like Prince Group defrauded Americans of at least $18.2 billion in 2025. It notes Treasury sanctioned 146 Prince Group members and affiliates in October 2025 and 35 more in June 2026. The statement does not name the 32 people.
On Sept. 21, 2026, the State Department said it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 32 individuals responsible for or complicit in defrauding Americans through cybercrime and related activity.
Most of those targeted, the statement says, are affiliated with the Prince Group, a transnational criminal organization already hit by earlier U.S. sanctions.
The department says valid visas for those named have been revoked.
It cites , which lets the Secretary of State keep someone out when entry would seriously hurt U.S. foreign-policy interests.
The department says Southeast Asian scam networks like Prince Group defrauded Americans of at least $18.2 billion in 2025.
It notes Treasury sanctioned 146 Prince Group members and affiliates in October 2025 and 35 more in June 2026.
The statement does not name the 32 people.
How we know

What is still unknown or disputed

  • Names of the 32 individuals; Federal Register / visa classification details; any parallel new DOJ indictments timed to this announcement.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Announcing Steps to Impose Visa Restrictions on 32 Individuals Connected to Prince Group TCO & Others Scamming Americans

    U.S. Department of State · September 21, 2026

    Today, the Department of State is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 32 individuals responsible for or complicit in defrauding Americans through cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and related activity.

    https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/09/announcing-steps-to-impose-visa-restrictions-on-32-individuals-connected-to-prince-group-tco-others-scamming-americans/