AI Linked to 55% of Cybercrime Cases Across Africa, INTERPOL Reports

Artificial intelligence was involved in 55% of cybercrime cases recorded across Africa, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.

The assessment drew on information from 36 African countries and described cybercrime as a highly organised, cross-border industry. It identified online scams as the most common form of cybercrime on the continent in 2025, while warning that AI was helping criminals make attacks faster, more convincing and broader in scale.

Losses rise as scams expand

INTERPOL reported that cybercrime-related financial losses increased from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million over the later period covered by the assessment. The report linked the increase to AI-enabled fraud, stolen login credentials and more sophisticated social engineering operations.

Scam centres were also identified as a widespread concern. Seventy-two percent of surveyed countries reported the presence of such centres within their borders, according to the assessment.

Africa’s growing digital access has expanded the potential reach of criminal networks. The continent had more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, while groups based in Africa reportedly targeted businesses and individuals in Europe and North America.

Regional patterns differ

The report found that cybercrime threats varied across the continent. East Africa was associated with mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks aimed at critical infrastructure. Business email compromise and romance scams were highlighted in West and Central Africa.

Southern Africa’s highly connected digital systems were described as attractive targets for international cybercrime networks. Criminals also used synthetic identities, combining genuine personal information with fabricated details, to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards.

INTERPOL said deepfake technology and AI-generated material were increasingly being used in digital sextortion and online harassment campaigns. Technology partner TrendAI detected approximately 600,000 sextortion cases connected to those tactics.

AI was also used to produce convincing business email compromise messages that imitated trusted contacts. Criminals combined real data with fabricated information to create synthetic identities, making fraudulent activity more difficult to identify.

Authorities face coordination challenges

The assessment identified weak coordination and limited real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies as obstacles to effective cybercrime responses.

It also found that many African law enforcement agencies were not adequately prepared to deal with AI-driven threats, despite the rapid adoption of the technology by criminal networks.

Progress has been reported in some areas. Seventeen African countries introduced or updated cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform designed to improve responses to online offences involving children.

Four major international operations—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 linked to cybercrime, according to INTERPOL.