AI fuels rising cybercrime threat across Africa

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now linked to 55% of reported cybercrimes across Africa, enabling criminals to launch attacks more rapidly, operate at greater scale and evade detection more effectively, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026

Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, with more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers recorded in 2025. However, this rapid growth is accompanied by significant cybersecurity challenges, including fragmented cybercrime legislation and limited AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies.

Based on survey responses from 36 African member countries, the 40-page assessment identifies a major transformation in the region’s cybercrime environment. Criminal activity has developed from individual attacks into an increasingly organised, industrialised and borderless ecosystem.

Regional cyberthreats

Cybercrime patterns vary across the continent. East Africa has become a major centre for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise and romance scams have been widespread across Central and West Africa.

Southern Africa’s exceptionally high levels of connectivity have also increased its attractiveness to international threat actors seeking opportunities to cause widespread disruption.

The economic impact is growing rapidly. Cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising from US$192mn to US$484mn. AI-enabled scams, credential theft and automated social engineering campaigns have been key contributors to this increase.

Online scams remained the most frequently reported form of cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money services, social media platforms and AI-powered tools to target victims.

Scam centres are also widespread, with 72% of surveyed countries reporting their presence. Southern and West Africa recorded the highest concentrations.

AI raises the sophistication of attacks

AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media continue to facilitate digital sextortion and online harassment. TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, recorded approximately 600,000 sextortion detections.

Business E-Mail Compromise (BEC) attacks have similarly become more sophisticated. Criminals are using AI to create highly credible email exchanges, while Africa-based threat actors have targeted victims in Europe and North America through infrastructure spread across several jurisdictions.

The report also highlights weaknesses caused by limited real-time information sharing between financial institutions, telecommunications operators and law enforcement agencies. These gaps create opportunities for criminals to conduct financial fraud with reduced risk of detection.

Criminal networks are increasingly moving beyond the theft of genuine credentials and creating synthetic identities. By combining authentic personal information with fabricated details, AI-generated personas can potentially circumvent sophisticated biometric verification systems. Such identities have reportedly been used to establish bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards using false identities.

Strengthening the response

Neal Jetton, director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime unit said, “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.

“However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled.”

Progress is nevertheless being made across the continent. During 2025, 17 countries introduced or amended cybercrime legislation. Among these developments was the launch of an online reporting platform in Senegal designed to strengthen responses to online offences affecting children.

Regional capacity-building programmes are also supporting efforts to develop stronger and more sustainable cyber resilience.

Greater operational cooperation is producing results as well. Four major INTERPOL-coordinated operations – Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0 – resulted collectively in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of devices and the recovery of more than USD 100 million.

The assessment recommends standardising digital forensic capabilities, strengthening cross-border collaboration, increasing AI literacy among law enforcement personnel and establishing formal public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.

INTERPOL’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment forms part of the organisation’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, which is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The assessment incorporates data provided by Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.