Artificial intelligence is now implicated in 55 percent of reported cybercrimes across Africa, accelerating and industrializing digital attacks continent-wide, according to INTERPOL’s 2026 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report.
Based on intelligence gathered from 36 African member states, the 40-page study reveals that cybercrime has shifted from isolated incidents into a highly organized, cross-border ecosystem. Rapid digital growth—marked by over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers across Africa—has expanded the attack surface, while legislative frameworks and law enforcement preparedness continue to lag behind AI-driven threats.
The geographic impact of these digital threats varies across regions. East Africa functions as a hub for mobile payment fraud and infrastructure-targeted ransomware, whereas Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes and romance scams predominate in West and Central Africa. In Southern Africa, high internet connectivity attracts international syndicates seeking maximum reach. Financial losses from cyberattacks escalated sharply from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million in the subsequent period, propelled by automated social engineering, credential theft, and AI-backed scams. Nearly 72 percent of surveyed nations reported active scam centers, with heavy concentrations in Southern and West Africa.
AI technologies are also refining attack vectors and bypassing traditional security controls. Criminals leverage deepfakes and synthetic media for digital sexual extortion and online harassment, with INTERPOL partner TrendAI detecting approximately 600,000 cases of digital extortion. Furthermore, bad actors utilize synthetic identities—blending real and fabricated personal details—to bypass biometric systems, open fraudulent bank accounts, and register SIM cards, taking advantage of limited real-time data sharing among telecommunications providers, banks, and law enforcement.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Unit, noted that AI now automates every stage of cyberattacks, from initial reconnaissance and phishing to extortion. Despite these challenges, regional countermeasures have expanded. Seventeen African nations updated or enacted cybercrime legislation in 2025, and Senegal introduced a dedicated online portal to address digital offenses against children. Joint international initiatives, including operations Serengeti 2.0, Contender 3.0, Sentinel, and Red Card 2.0, yielded over 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of devices, and the recovery of more than $100 million in illicit assets. To build long-term resilience, INTERPOL advocates for enhanced digital forensics infrastructure, expanded cross-border operational coordination, specialized AI training for law enforcement, and formal private-sector partnerships.
AC/lb/abj/APA