Artificial intelligence (AI) is now driving 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa, making attacks faster, more sophisticated and harder to detect, according to the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The 40-page report, based on survey responses from 36 African member countries, warns that cybercrime has evolved from isolated criminal activities into a highly organised, cross-border ecosystem fueled by AI technologies.
Despite Africa’s rapid digital transformation, with more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers recorded in 2025, the report noted that fragmented cybercrime legislation and limited AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies continue to expose the continent to growing cyber threats.
INTERPOL revealed that cybercrime-related financial losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising from 192 million dollars to 484 million dollars, largely due to AI-powered scams, credential theft and automated social engineering attacks.
According to the report, online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI tools to target victims. It added that 72 per cent of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, with Southern and West Africa accounting for the highest concentration.
The report also highlighted regional cybercrime trends, identifying East Africa as a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Central and West Africa were found to be heavily affected by business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams targeting individuals and corporate organisations, while Southern Africa’s high internet connectivity has made it a preferred target for global cybercriminal groups.
INTERPOL further warned that AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media have intensified digital sextortion and online harassment across the continent.
The report disclosed that TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, detected approximately 600,000 digital sextortion cases, while AI has also significantly improved the sophistication of business email compromise attacks targeting victims in Europe and North America through infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.
It noted that the lack of real-time information sharing among banks, telecommunications operators and law enforcement agencies remains a major weakness in Africa’s fight against financial cybercrime.
According to the report, cybercriminals are increasingly creating AI-generated synthetic identities by combining genuine personal information with fabricated data to bypass biometric verification systems, enabling them to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
Speaking on the findings, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Unit, Neal Jetton, described cybercrime as one of the region’s most serious criminal threats.
“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,” he said.
The report acknowledged progress in strengthening Africa’s cyber resilience, revealing that 17 countries enacted or amended cybercrime laws in 2025. It cited Senegal’s launch of an online reporting platform for crimes affecting children as one of the notable developments.
INTERPOL also highlighted the success of four major multinational cybercrime operations—Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0—which resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over 100 million dollars.
To address the growing threat, the report recommended the adoption of standardised digital forensic capabilities, stronger cross-border collaboration, increased investment in AI training for law enforcement personnel and deeper public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
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