AI Powers Over Half of Africa's Cybercrime, INTERPOL Report Reveals

Artificial intelligence is now a dominant force in African cybercrime, driving over 55% of reported cases and enabling more sophisticated, convincing, and large-scale attacks, according to INTERPOL's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026. The report, which compiles data from 36 African nations, underscores a significant surge in financial losses, escalating from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million in 2025, largely attributed to AI-powered fraud, credential theft, and advanced social engineering tactics.

Online scams remain the continent's primary cyber threat, with criminals leveraging AI alongside social media and mobile money platforms to target victims. The report highlights regional variations in cyber risks, including mobile money fraud and ransomware in East Africa, business email compromise and romance scams in West and Central Africa, and international cybercriminal targeting in the digitally advanced Southern Africa.

INTERPOL warns that AI is revolutionizing criminal operations through technologies like deepfakes for sextortion and AI-generated content for realistic Business Email Compromise (BEC) emails. The emergence of synthetic identities, created by combining real and fabricated data to open fraudulent accounts and evade biometric systems, presents another growing concern. Some Africa-based groups are also conducting cross-border attacks on targets in Europe and North America.

Despite the escalating threat, the report notes progress in combating cybercrime. In 2025, 17 African countries updated or introduced new cybercrime legislation, and Senegal launched an online reporting platform for child-related offenses. Furthermore, joint international operations have resulted in over 1,500 arrests and the recovery of more than $100 million. However, weak cooperation among banks, telecom companies, and law enforcement, coupled with inadequate preparedness of many African agencies, continues to hinder effective responses to AI-driven cyber threats.

The increasing reliance on digital services by over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in Africa by 2025 creates both opportunities for innovation and a fertile ground for cybercriminals. The report emphasizes the critical need for enhanced collaboration and improved capabilities among African authorities to effectively counter the evolving landscape of AI-fueled cybercrime, which poses a significant risk to the continent's expanding digital economy.