Lyon, France – August 5, 2026
— Artificial intelligence is now powering more than half of all reported cybercrime across Africa, making attacks faster, more scalable, and increasingly difficult to detect, according to the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026
The report found that AI was involved in 55% of reported cybercrime cases across the continent, underscoring how cybercriminals are increasingly using advanced technologies to automate attacks, evade detection, and target victims on a larger scale. Based on survey responses from 36 African member countries, the 40-page assessment concludes that cybercrime has evolved from isolated incidents into a highly organized, cross-border criminal ecosystem
Africa’s expanding digital economy has created new opportunities for innovation, with mobile subscriptions surpassing 1.1 billion in 2025. However, INTERPOL warned that fragmented cybercrime legislation and limited AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies continue to leave many countries vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats
The financial impact of cybercrime has also intensified sharply. Since 2024, cybercrime-related losses across Africa have more than doubled, rising from $192 million to $484 million, driven largely by AI-powered scams, credential theft, and automated social engineering attacks
According to the report, online scams remained the continent’s most frequently reported cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media, and AI tools to expand their reach. Nearly 72% of surveyed countries reported the presence of organized scam centers, particularly across Southern and West Africa
The report also highlighted the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media in digital sextortion and online harassment campaigns. INTERPOL cited data from TrendAI showing approximately 600,000 digital sextortion detections, illustrating the growing scale of AI-enabled abuse
Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks have also become significantly more sophisticated, with cybercriminals using AI to generate highly convincing fraudulent emails targeting organizations and individuals. According to the report, Africa-based threat actors increasingly targeted victims in Europe and North America while operating infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions
Another emerging concern is the rapid growth of AI-generated synthetic identities. Criminals are combining genuine personal information with fabricated data to create digital identities capable of bypassing biometric verification systems. These identities have been used to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans, and register SIM cards under false identities
INTERPOL also warned that the lack of real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications providers, and law enforcement agencies continues to create major gaps in fraud detection and investigation, allowing financial crimes to spread across borders with greater speed and sophistication
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, said cybercrime has become one of Africa’s most significant security challenges, with AI now automating nearly every stage of a cyberattack—from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion
He added that stronger international cooperation remains essential to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling criminal infrastructure
The report pointed to encouraging progress across the continent. During 2025, 17 African countries introduced or updated cybercrime legislation, while several regional capacity-building initiatives continued to strengthen long-term cyber resilience
Senegal also launched a national online reporting platform designed to improve responses to online crimes affecting children
INTERPOL highlighted the success of four major international cybercrime operations—Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel, and Operation Red Card 2.0—which collectively resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of digital devices, and the recovery of more than $100 million in criminal proceeds
Looking ahead, the report calls for stronger digital forensic capabilities, closer cross-border cooperation, greater investment in AI training for law enforcement personnel, and deeper public-private collaboration to improve cybercrime prevention, detection, and response
The INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026 was produced under the organization’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W, and TrendAI
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