AI Drives Over Half of Cybercrime in Africa, INTERPOL Report Reveals

Key Takeaways

AI facilitates 55% of reported cybercrimes in Africa, making attacks faster and harder to detect.
Cybercrime-related losses in Africa have surged from USD 192 million to USD 484 million since 2024.
INTERPOL emphasizes the need for improved cooperation and AI literacy among law enforcement to combat rising cyber threats.

Cybersecurity Landscape in Africa

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a critical factor in the rise of cybercrime across Africa, accounting for 55% of reported incidents as per INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026. This comprehensive report reveals the transformed cyber threat landscape, which now resembles an industrialized, borderless ecosystem. With Africa boasting over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers by 2025, the digital landscape is expanding, but the lack of cohesive cybercrime legislation and low AI preparedness among law enforcement threaten to exacerbate the situation.

East Africa has emerged as a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware, while Central and West Africa face a surge in business email compromise and romance scams. The ultra-connectivity in Southern Africa makes it particularly attractive for global threat actors, escalating the risk of large-scale disruptions. Notably, cybercrime losses have more than doubled from USD 192 million in 2024 to USD 484 million, driven primarily by AI-assisted scams.

The report indicates an ongoing trend where online scams remain the most commonly reported form of cybercrime, with attackers leveraging mobile platforms and social media. Alarmingly, 72% of countries surveyed reported scam centers, predominantly clustered in Southern and West Africa.

AI-Enabled Cyber Threats

Digital sextortion and online harassment are on the rise, with around 600,000 incidents detected by TrendAI. The complexity of business email compromise schemes has increased, as criminals utilize AI to create convincing email correspondences, targeting not only local victims but also individuals in Europe and North America using cross-jurisdictional infrastructure. A significant gap exists in real-time information sharing between banks, telecom companies, and law enforcement, allowing criminals to exploit vulnerabilities by creating synthetic identities.

Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Unit, described cybercrime as a major threat to the region, emphasizing the role of AI in automating various stages of attacks, from recon to phishing. However, there are positive developments; 17 countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, including the launch of an online reporting platform in Senegal aimed at protecting children online.

Collaborative Efforts Against Cybercrime

INTERPOL’s operations have showcased the benefits of regional cooperation, resulting in major successes such as the arrest of over 1,500 individuals and the recovery of more than USD 100 million through coordinated operations. The report calls for standardized digital forensic capabilities, enhanced cross-border collaboration, and increased investments in AI literacy among law enforcement.

INTERPOL’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment is part of a broader initiative to combat cybercrime, supported by data from multiple partners.

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