Artificial intelligence (AI) is now driving more than half of reported cybercrime across Africa, enabling criminals to launch faster, more sophisticated and harder-to-detect attacks, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The report found that AI was linked to 55 per cent of reported cybercrime incidents across the continent, with criminals increasingly using the technology to automate phishing, online fraud, identity theft and social engineering attacks.
Based on survey responses from 36 African member countries, the report said cybercrime has evolved from isolated criminal activities into an industrialised, borderless ecosystem that increasingly exploits artificial intelligence.
While Africa’s digital economy continues to expand—with more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers recorded in 2025—INTERPOL warned that fragmented cybercrime legislation and limited AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies are leaving many countries vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated attacks.
The report showed that cybercrime-related financial losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising from US$192 million to US$484 million, driven largely by AI-enabled scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering campaigns.
Online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI tools to target victims. The report also found that 72 per cent of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, with Southern and West Africa accounting for the highest concentration.
Regionally, East Africa emerged as a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while Central and West Africa continued to experience widespread business email compromise and romance scams. Southern Africa’s high level of digital connectivity has also made the region an attractive target for global cybercriminal groups.
INTERPOL said AI is increasing the sophistication of cyberattacks through the use of deepfakes, synthetic media and highly convincing phishing emails. The report noted that technology partner TrendAI recorded about 600,000 digital sextortion detections, while AI-generated business email compromise schemes are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America from infrastructure located across multiple jurisdictions.
The organisation also warned that criminals are creating synthetic identities by combining genuine personal data with fabricated information to bypass biometric verification systems. These fake digital identities have been used to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
According to the report, weak real-time information sharing among banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies remains a major obstacle to tackling cyber-enabled financial crime.
Despite the growing threat, INTERPOL highlighted progress in strengthening cyber resilience across Africa. It said 17 countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to improve responses to online offences affecting children.
The report also cited the success of four major INTERPOL-led operations—Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0—which resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over US$100 million linked to cybercrime.
Commenting on the findings, Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, said artificial intelligence is automating nearly every stage of cyberattacks, from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion.
He said stronger international cooperation remains essential to identifying, disrupting and dismantling cybercriminal networks.
The report recommended strengthening digital forensic capabilities, expanding cross-border cooperation, investing in AI literacy for law enforcement officers and fostering stronger public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
