Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving more than half of all reported cybercrimes across Africa, making attacks faster, more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to detect, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The report reveals that AI now enables 55 per cent of reported cybercrime across the continent, underscoring the growing threat posed by rapidly evolving digital technologies as Africa experiences unprecedented growth in internet and mobile connectivity.
With more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers recorded in 2025, Africa’s digital transformation continues to accelerate. However, INTERPOL warns that fragmented cybercrime legislation and limited AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies are leaving many countries vulnerable to increasingly complex cyberattacks.
Drawing on survey responses from 36 African member states, the 40-page report concludes that cybercrime has evolved from isolated criminal activity into an industrialised, borderless enterprise capable of targeting victims across multiple jurisdictions.
Regional cybercrime hotspots
According to the assessment, East Africa has emerged as a major centre for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Business email compromise (BEC) schemes and romance scams remain widespread in Central and West Africa, while Southern Africa’s high level of digital connectivity has made the region an attractive target for international cybercriminal networks seeking to maximise disruption.
The financial impact of cybercrime has also risen sharply. Since 2024, reported losses have more than doubled—from approximately US$192 million to US$484 million—driven largely by AI-powered scams, credential theft and automated social engineering attacks.
Online scams remained the most commonly reported form of cybercrime in 2025, with criminals increasingly exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI-powered tools to deceive victims.
The report found that 72 per cent of surveyed countries had identified scam centres operating within their borders, with the highest concentrations recorded in Southern and West Africa.
AI increasing sophistication of attacks
INTERPOL warned that cybercriminals are increasingly using AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media to facilitate digital sextortion, online harassment and identity fraud.
TrendAI, one of the organisations contributing data to the report, recorded approximately 600,000 detections of digital sextortion during the reporting period.
The report also highlights a significant rise in the sophistication of Business Email Compromise attacks, with AI being used to produce highly convincing fraudulent emails. Some Africa-based cybercriminal groups were found to be targeting victims in Europe and North America while operating digital infrastructure spread across multiple countries.
Another growing concern is the emergence of AI-generated synthetic identities. By combining genuine personal information with fabricated details, criminals are creating digital identities capable of bypassing advanced biometric verification systems.
According to the report, these synthetic identities have been used to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities, exposing weaknesses in financial and telecommunications security systems.
INTERPOL also identified inadequate real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies as a major obstacle to combating financial cybercrime effectively.
Call for stronger collaboration
Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, Neal Jetton, described cybercrime as one of the most serious security threats facing Africa.
“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.”
Despite the growing threat, the report points to encouraging progress across the continent. During 2025, 17 African countries enacted or strengthened cybercrime legislation, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to improve responses to online offences involving children.
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 collectively resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over US$100 million in criminal proceeds.
Recommendations
To strengthen Africa’s cyber resilience, INTERPOL recommends expanding digital forensic capabilities, improving cross-border intelligence sharing, increasing AI training for law enforcement personnel and establishing stronger public-private partnerships to enhance cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with data contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
