INTERPOL has issued a stark warning in its latest findings: artificial intelligence is now driving more than half of all reported cybercrimes in Africa, enabling attacks that are faster, more sophisticated, and increasingly difficult to detect and disrupt.

The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, based on data collected from 36 African countries, found that AI was connected to 55% of reported cybercrime incidents across the continent. According to the report, cybercrime has shifted from isolated incidents into a complex, cross-border criminal ecosystem fueled by automation and emerging technologies. The findings echo a broader global pattern in which AI tools have lowered the technical barrier to entry for cybercriminals, allowing less skilled actors to launch campaigns that previously required specialist expertise.

The findings arrive as Africa's digital economy continues its rapid expansion. The continent surpassed 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, accelerating digital adoption but simultaneously broadening the attack surface available to cybercriminals. Africa is the world's largest mobile money market by transaction volume, a position that makes mobile financial services a particularly attractive vector for fraud and credential theft. INTERPOL noted that cybercrime legislation remains fragmented across many African nations, despite the African Union's Malabo Convention on Cyber Security having entered into force in 2023, and law enforcement agencies continue to lack the resources and capabilities needed to counter AI-driven threats effectively.

Financial losses have surged in tandem. The report states that cybercrime-related damages across Africa rose from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million, marking more than a twofold increase. INTERPOL attributed this escalation primarily to AI-assisted scams, credential theft, and automated social engineering campaigns.

Online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime category in 2025, with criminals increasingly leveraging AI tools, social media platforms, and mobile money services to identify and exploit victims. The report also found that 72% of surveyed countries had identified organized scam centres operating within their borders, with the highest concentrations located in Southern and West Africa.

AI Transforms the Threat Landscape

Beyond conventional phishing and online fraud, the report detailed how AI is fundamentally altering cybercriminal operations.

AI-generated deepfakes are driving an increase in sextortion and online harassment cases. INTERPOL partner TrendAI recorded approximately 600,000 sextortion incidents, underscoring the scale of AI-enabled abuse.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks have grown markedly more sophisticated. Criminal networks are now deploying generative AI to craft highly convincing messages that impersonate legitimate businesses, with some Africa-based actors specifically targeting organizations in Europe and North America. The transnational reach of these campaigns places African cybercrime firmly on the agenda of corporate security teams well beyond the continent.

The report further revealed that cybercriminals are constructing synthetic digital identities by merging stolen personal data with AI-generated information. These fabricated identities have reportedly been used to open bank accounts, secure mobile loans, and register SIM cards, in some cases bypassing biometric verification systems.

INTERPOL identified one of the most significant barriers to combating financial cybercrime in Africa as the absence of real-time information sharing among banks, telecommunications providers, and law enforcement agencies. This gap enables criminals to operate swiftly across jurisdictions while hampering authorities' ability to detect and intercept fraudulent activity before substantial losses materialize.

Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL's Cybercrime Directorate, emphasized that AI is reshaping every phase of cyberattacks.

"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 escalating threat, INTERPOL pointed to measurable progress in regional cooperation. The organization called for enhanced cross-border collaboration, improved digital forensic capabilities, expanded AI training for law enforcement personnel, and deeper partnerships between governments and the private sector to fortify Africa's cyber resilience.

The full INTERPOL report is available on the organization's official website.