Artificial intelligence (AI) is now enabling 55% of reported cybercrimes across Africa, making attacks faster, more scalable and harder to detect, while cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled to $484 million since 2024, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The 40-page report, based on survey data from 36 African member countries, said Africa’s rapid digital transformation, supported by more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, has expanded opportunities for innovation but also increased exposure to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
It warned that fragmented cybercrime legislation and low levels of AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies have left many countries vulnerable as cybercrime evolves into what it described as an “industrialized, borderless ecosystem.”
According to the report, East Africa has emerged as a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while Central and West Africa continue to experience widespread business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams targeting both companies and individuals. Southern Africa’s high level of digital connectivity has also made the region an attractive target for international cybercriminal networks.
INTERPOL said cybercrime losses have risen from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million, driven largely by AI-powered scams, credential theft and automated social engineering campaigns.
Online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime in 2025, with criminals increasingly exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI-generated content to deceive victims. The report found that 72% of surveyed countries identified scam centres operating within their borders, with the highest concentration in Southern and West Africa.
Furthermore, the report showed the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media in digital sextortion and online harassment. According to cybersecurity partner TrendAI, around 600,000 sextortion detections were recorded during the reporting period.
Business email compromise attacks have also become more sophisticated, with cybercriminals using AI to generate highly convincing emails. The report noted that Africa-based threat actors increasingly target victims in Europe and North America while operating across multiple jurisdictions.
INTERPOL raised the alarm that weak real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies has created significant gaps in efforts to combat financial fraud. Criminals are increasingly creating AI-generated synthetic identities by combining genuine personal information with fabricated data 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,” he added.
The report noted progress in strengthening regional cyber resilience. During 2025, 17 African countries enacted or updated cybercrime legislation, while Senegal launched an online platform to improve reporting of online offences affecting children.
INTERPOL also highlighted the success of four multinational operations — Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0 — which resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of more than $100 million.
The report called for stronger cross-border cooperation, standardized digital forensic capabilities, greater investment in AI training for law enforcement officers and closer public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 was produced under INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with contributions from cybersecurity partners including Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
