AI Driving 55% Of Cybercrimes In Africa, INTERPOL Warns

By Onoja Baba

Artificial intelligence is now powering 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa, enabling attacks to become faster, more sophisticated and harder to detect, according to the 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment Report released by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

The 40 page report, unveiled on Tuesday in Lyon, France, warned that cybercriminality has evolved from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem, fuelled by rapid digital transformation across the continent. It noted that Africa recorded more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, creating new opportunities for economic growth while also exposing millions of users to cyber threats.

According to the report, cybercrime related financial losses across Africa have more than doubled since 2024, rising from 192 million dollars to 484 million dollars. The increase was largely attributed to AI enabled scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering campaigns targeting individuals, businesses and financial institutions.

The report identified online scams as the most frequently reported cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and artificial intelligence to deceive victims. It revealed that 72 per cent of surveyed African countries reported the existence of scam centres, with the highest concentration found in Southern and West Africa.

INTERPOL highlighted distinct cybercrime trends across the continent. East Africa has become a major hub for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while Central and West Africa recorded widespread business email compromise and romance scams affecting both corporate organisations and individuals. Southern Africa’s high level of digital connectivity has also made the region an attractive target for international cybercriminal groups seeking to inflict widespread disruption.

The assessment further warned that AI is driving a new generation of cyber threats, including digital sextortion and online harassment through deepfakes and synthetic media. Data from TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, showed that about 600,000 sextortion incidents were detected during the reporting period.

Business Email Compromise attacks have also become more sophisticated, with cybercriminals using AI to generate highly convincing email messages capable of deceiving victims. According to the report, Africa based threat actors increasingly target victims in Europe and North America while using digital infrastructure spread across multiple countries to conceal their operations.

INTERPOL also raised concerns over the emergence of AI generated synthetic identities, where criminals combine genuine personal information with fabricated details to create fake digital identities capable of bypassing advanced biometric verification systems. These identities have reportedly been used to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false names.

The report identified weak collaboration between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies as a major challenge, warning that the absence of real time information sharing continues to create significant gaps in the fight against financial fraud and cybercrime.

Speaking on the findings, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Unit, Neal Jetton, described cybercrime as one of the most significant criminal threats facing Africa.

He said artificial intelligence now automates virtually every stage of cyberattacks, from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion, but stressed that international cooperation has proven effective in identifying, disrupting and dismantling criminal infrastructure.

Despite growing threats, the report highlighted notable progress across the continent. It revealed that 17 African countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to strengthen responses to online offences affecting children.

INTERPOL also reported that four major multinational operations, Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0, resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over 100 million dollars linked to cybercrime.

The report recommended the development of standardized digital forensic capabilities, stronger cross border cooperation, increased investment in AI literacy for law enforcement personnel and enhanced public private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response across Africa.

The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with technical contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.