LYON, France – Artificial intelligence is now linked to 55 percent of reported cybercrime cases across Africa, with criminals using the technology to launch faster, more sophisticated and harder-to-detect attacks, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
Okay News reports that the 40-page assessment, based on data from 36 African member countries, found that cybercrime has evolved into a highly organised, cross-border ecosystem. The report warns that online scams remain the continent’s most common cyber threat, while financial institutions, telecommunications companies and government agencies continue to face the highest levels of attacks.
According to the report, cybercrime-related financial losses across Africa have surged from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million. INTERPOL said criminals are increasingly using AI to automate phishing campaigns, credential theft, business email compromise and social engineering schemes, allowing attacks to be carried out at a much larger scale.
The assessment also found that 72 percent of surveyed countries identified the presence of scam centres, with the highest concentration in West Africa and Southern Africa. East Africa was identified as a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise and romance scams remain widespread in Central and West Africa.
INTERPOL warned that cybercriminals are increasingly creating AI-generated synthetic identities by combining genuine personal information with fabricated details. These fake identities have reportedly been used to bypass biometric verification systems, open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
The report further highlighted the growing use of deepfakes and synthetic media in digital sextortion and online harassment, with partner organisation TrendAI recording about 600,000 sextortion detections. It also noted that poor real-time information sharing between banks, telecom operators and law enforcement agencies continues to create major gaps that cybercriminals exploit.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, said AI is now being used to automate nearly every stage of cyberattacks, from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion. He added that stronger international cooperation has helped authorities identify and dismantle cybercrime networks operating across multiple jurisdictions.
INTERPOL said coordinated operations carried out in 2025, including 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 over $100 million linked to cybercrime investigations.
The organisation urged African governments to strengthen digital forensic capabilities, improve cross-border intelligence sharing, invest in AI training for law enforcement officers and expand partnerships with the private sector to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
