Over Half of Africa’s Cybercrime Now Involves AI

Artificial intelligence is enabling more than half of reported cybercrime across Africa, making attacks faster, more scalable and harder to detect, according to an INTERPOL report released on Monday, as the continent’s rapid digital expansion outpaces cybersecurity preparedness.

The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 found AI was linked to 55% of reported cybercrime incidents across Africa, where more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers were recorded in 2025. The report, based on survey data from 36 African member countries, said cybercrime had evolved “from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem.”

East Africa has become a hub for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise and romance scams remain widespread in Central and West Africa, the report said. Southern Africa’s high internet connectivity has also made it an attractive target for international cybercriminal groups.

The financial impact has intensified. Cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled since 2024 to $484 million from $192 million, driven largely by AI-enabled scams, credential theft and automated social engineering campaigns.

Online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime in 2025, with attackers using AI alongside mobile money platforms and social media to target victims. About 72% of surveyed countries reported scam centres operating within their borders, with the highest concentration in Southern and West Africa.

The report said AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media were fuelling digital sextortion and online harassment, with partner TrendAI recording about 600,000 sextortion detections.

It also warned that AI was making business email compromise schemes more convincing, with Africa-based threat actors targeting victims in Europe and North America using infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.

INTERPOL said the lack of real-time information sharing among banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies was creating major gaps in efforts to combat financial crime. Criminals are increasingly using AI-generated synthetic identities, combining real personal information with fabricated details to bypass biometric verification systems, open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.

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

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

The report highlighted signs of progress, noting that 17 African countries enacted or updated cybercrime laws in 2025. It also cited four INTERPOL-led operations, including Operations Serengeti 2.0 and Red Card 2.0, which resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of devices and the recovery of more than $100 million.

INTERPOL called for greater cross-border cooperation, standardized digital forensic capabilities, increased AI training for law enforcement and stronger public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.

Stay ahead of the Stories shaping our world. Subscribe to Impact Newswire and join our 
WhatsApp Channel for updates on global tech, business, and innovation—all in one place.

Dive deeper into the future with the Cause Effect 4.0 Podcast, where we explore the ideas, trends, and technologies driving the global AI conversation.

Got a story to share? Contact Us to reach a global audience with Impact Newswire.