President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Aug. 12 creating a DOJ- and DHS-led program that allows vetted U.S. companies to conduct government-approved cyber surveillance and disruptive operations against foreign criminal networks, expanding private-sector involvement in work traditionally handled by U.S. law enforcement, intelligence and military agencies. The administration said the effort targets cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations rather than foreign governments and is aimed at losses from financial fraud, sextortion, impersonation schemes and other cyber-enabled crime, including crypto scams. The memorandum places the program in the National Coordination Center, part of the Homeland Security Task Force, under the leadership of the attorney general and the homeland security secretary. Participating companies must contract with the Justice Department or DHS, undergo vetting and operate only under government direction. Any operation involving a U.S. person faces additional legal scrutiny, including from the Justice Department. The White House said American consumers reported more than $20.8 billion in losses to cyber-enabled crime in 2025. The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, as cited in the new material, recorded more than $11.3 billion tied to 181,565 cryptocurrency complaints, up 21% from the previous year. Many cases followed the "pig butchering" playbook, in which scammers build trust over time before directing victims to fraudulent crypto investment platforms. An FBI-led operation with authorities in the UAE, Thailand and China this year resulted in 276 arrests, the shutdown of nine scam centers and more than $701 million in crypto restrained, while the Treasury's Scam Center Strike Force has seized more than $700 million in crypto tied to Chinese organized crime working through middlemen in Southeast Asia. The policy has drawn comparisons to privateering and renewed debate over "hacking back." Supporters say outside help could free agencies to focus on nation-state threats, while critics warn that weak oversight, accidental damage abroad and legal exposure for participating companies could create new risks.