INTERPOL has reported that artificial intelligence now powers 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa, enabling faster, more sophisticated attacks that have pushed cybercrime-related losses to $484 million.
The international police organization disclosed this in its African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, noting that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting AI to automate phishing, fraud, identity theft and other online attacks, making them more scalable, difficult to detect and harder for law enforcement agencies to combat.
The 40-page report, released on Monday, draws on survey data from 36 African member countries and reveals that cybercrime has evolved from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem, driven largely by the growing use of artificial intelligence.
According to the report, Africa’s rapid digital transformation, marked by more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, has expanded access to digital services but also widened opportunities for cybercriminals. It warned that fragmented cybercrime legislation across the continent and the low level of AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies continue to hamper effective responses to increasingly complex cyber threats.
The assessment identified distinct cybercrime patterns across the continent. East Africa has become a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise and romance scams remain widespread in Central and West Africa. Southern Africa’s high internet penetration and digital connectivity, the report noted, have made the region an attractive target for international cybercriminal groups seeking to maximize disruption.
Financial losses linked to cybercrime have risen sharply in recent years. Since 2024, reported losses have more than doubled from $192 million to $484 million, largely due to AI-driven scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering campaigns. In 2025 alone, online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime, with attackers increasingly exploiting mobile money platforms, social media networks and AI-powered tools to reach victims.
The report further revealed that 72 per cent of surveyed countries identified the presence of scam centres, with the highest concentration recorded in Southern and West Africa. It also highlighted the growing prevalence of digital sextortion and online harassment, fuelled by AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media. TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s cybersecurity partners, recorded approximately 600,000 sextortion detections during the review period.
Business Email Compromise schemes have also become more sophisticated, with criminals using AI to generate highly convincing emails capable of impersonating executives and trusted business partners. The report noted that Africa-based cybercriminals are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America while operating digital infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions, making investigations more challenging.
INTERPOL also warned that weak coordination among financial institutions, telecommunications operators and law enforcement agencies is creating significant gaps in fraud detection and response. The absence of real-time information sharing, it said, allows criminals to exploit delays while deploying increasingly advanced tactics.
One emerging threat identified in the report is the growing use of synthetic identities. Rather than relying solely on stolen credentials, cybercriminals now combine genuine personal information with fabricated data to create AI-generated digital identities capable of bypassing advanced biometric verification systems. These identities are then used to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false names.
Reacting to the findings, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, Neal Jetton, described cybercrime as one of the region’s most significant criminal threats, warning that AI is transforming every stage of cyberattacks.
Despite the growing threat, the report highlighted encouraging progress in regional cooperation. It noted that 17 African countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to strengthen responses to online crimes affecting children. INTERPOL added that capacity-building initiatives across the continent continue to improve long-term cyber resilience.
Operational collaboration also yielded significant results during the period under review. Four major cybercrime operations coordinated by INTERPOL 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 in criminal proceeds.
To address the growing threat, the report recommended strengthening digital forensic capabilities, improving cross-border cooperation, investing in AI literacy for law enforcement officers and establishing stronger public-private partnerships to enhance cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
INTERPOL noted that the Africa Cyberthreat Assessment forms part of its 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.