The international police agency says artificial intelligence is driving increasingly well-coordinated cyberattacks, with financial losses across the continent soaring to $484 million.
Lyon, France (Running Africa) — Artificial intelligence (AI) is now driving more than half of all reported cybercrime incidents in Africa, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, as cybercriminals increasingly deploy AI-powered tools to launch faster, more sophisticated and harder-to-detect attacks across the continent.
The report, which analyses data from 36 African countries, found that cybercrime-related financial losses have soared from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million, underscoring the rapid evolution of digital threats targeting governments, businesses and individuals.
INTERPOL warned that the growing accessibility of artificial intelligence is enabling criminal networks to scale attacks at unprecedented speed while making online fraud increasingly difficult to identify and prevent.
AI Accelerates Phishing, Identity Fraud and Cyberattacks
According to the report, cybercriminals are using AI to automate phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, credential theft and other forms of online fraud.
Investigators also highlighted the growing use of synthetic identities, where criminals combine genuine personal information with AI-generated data to bypass biometric verification systems, open fraudulent bank accounts and register SIM cards under false identities.
The agency said these increasingly sophisticated tactics are making traditional fraud detection methods less effective and creating new challenges for law enforcement agencies.
East Africa Emerges as Cybercrime Hotspot
INTERPOL identified East Africa as one of the continent’s fastest-growing cybercrime hotspots, driven by rising mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Central Africa and West Africa continue to experience high levels of business email compromise (BEC), online investment fraud and romance scams, which remain among the region’s most financially damaging cyber threats.
The report also found that more than 70% of surveyed countries had identified organized scam centers operating within their borders, highlighting the increasing scale of transnational cybercrime networks.
Deepfake Sextortion on the Rise
Among the report’s most concerning findings was a sharp increase in AI-powered deepfake sextortion, with one of INTERPOL’s partner organizations recording more than 600,000 detections.
Criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create realistic fake images, videos and voice recordings to extort victims, spread misinformation and carry out identity-based fraud.
INTERPOL warned that rapid advances in generative AI are enabling cybercriminals to conduct increasingly convincing and psychologically manipulative attacks.
International Cooperation Leads to Major Arrests
Despite the escalating threat, INTERPOL said strengthened international cooperation is delivering tangible results.
The agency reported that four coordinated multinational operations conducted in 2025 resulted in more than 1,500 arrests and the recovery of over $100 million in criminal proceeds linked to cybercrime.
INTERPOL Cybercrime Director Neal Jetton said artificial intelligence is reshaping every stage of the cybercrime ecosystem, from reconnaissance and victim targeting to fraud execution and money laundering.
However, he stressed that enhanced cross-border intelligence sharing, stronger public-private partnerships and closer international collaboration remain essential to disrupting organized cybercriminal networks and protecting Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
