Artificial intelligence (AI) is now driving more than half of all reported cybercrime across Africa, enabling criminals to launch faster, more sophisticated attacks that are increasingly difficult for victims, businesses and digital platforms to detect, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The 40-page report, based on survey data from 36 African member countries, found that AI is linked to 55% of reported cybercrime cases across the continent, underscoring a shift from isolated cyber incidents to an industrialised, borderless criminal ecosystem.
As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, with more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers recorded in 2025, INTERPOL warned that cybercrime legislation remains fragmented while law enforcement agencies are still inadequately prepared to respond to AI-enabled threats.
According to the report, financial losses attributed to cybercrime have more than doubled since 2024, rising from $192 million to $484 million. The increase has been largely driven by AI-powered scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering attacks.
Online scams remained the most frequently reported form of cybercrime in 2025, with criminals increasingly exploiting mobile money platforms, social media networks and AI-driven tools to target victims across Africa.
INTERPOL also found that 72% of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, with Southern and West Africa accounting for the highest concentration of such operations.
The report highlighted significant regional variations in cybercrime trends. East Africa has become a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams continue to be prevalent across Central and West Africa. Southern Africa’s extensive internet connectivity has also made the region an attractive target for international cybercriminal groups seeking to disrupt digital services.
INTERPOL warned that AI is rapidly increasing the sophistication of cyber threats, particularly in cases involving digital sextortion and online harassment. Criminals are increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media to exploit victims. TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, recorded approximately 600,000 sextortion detections during the review period.
Business Email Compromise attacks have also become more convincing as cybercriminals use AI to generate highly realistic email communications. The report noted that Africa-based threat actors are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America through digital infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.
The assessment further identified weak coordination between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies as a major obstacle in combating financial fraud across the continent.
Rather than relying solely on stolen credentials, cybercriminals are increasingly creating synthetic digital identities by combining legitimate personal information with fabricated data. According to the report, these AI-generated identities have been used to bypass advanced biometric verification systems, allowing criminals to open bank accounts, secure mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, said AI is fundamentally reshaping the cybercrime landscape.
“Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant criminal threats to the region. AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion,” Jetton said.
He added that stronger international collaboration remains critical, noting that coordinated efforts have demonstrated that cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled.
Despite the escalating threat, the report pointed to encouraging developments across the continent. Seventeen African countries enacted or strengthened cybercrime legislation in 2025, including Senegal, which launched an online reporting platform aimed at improving responses to online offences involving children.
INTERPOL also highlighted the success of several multinational cybercrime operations conducted during the year. 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 more than $100 million in illicit proceeds.
To improve Africa’s cyber resilience, the report recommended standardising digital forensic capabilities, expanding cross-border cooperation, strengthening AI literacy among law enforcement personnel and enhancing public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026 forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The report was produced with data and technical support from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.