AI fuels majority of Africa’s cybercrime as losses surge to $484m, INTERPOL warns

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping Africa’s cybercrime landscape, enabling criminals to launch faster, more convincing and harder-to-detect attacks that pushed cyber-related losses across the continent to $484 million in 2025, according to the latest assessment by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 found that AI is now involved in 55 percent of reported cybercrime cases across Africa, marking a significant shift in the sophistication and scale of digital attacks targeting governments, businesses, financial institutions and millions of internet users.

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The 40-page report warned that Africa’s fast-growing digital economy is becoming increasingly vulnerable as cybercriminals exploit artificial intelligence to automate scams, steal identities, bypass security systems and launch ransomware attacks at unprecedented speed.

The findings come as Africa surpassed 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, reflecting rapid digital adoption across banking, e-commerce, telecommunications and government services. While digital connectivity is expanding economic opportunities, INTERPOL said cyber resilience has not kept pace with technological growth.

“The same technologies powering Africa’s digital transformation are increasingly being weaponised by criminal networks,” the report said.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest digital economy, featured prominently in the assessment, emerging both as one of the continent’s most targeted countries and a significant source of cybercriminal activity.

According to the report, Nigeria recorded 5,822 ransomware detections during 2025, highlighting what INTERPOL described as the country’s dual role as an origin and target of cybercrime.

The report also cited the compromise of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics’ website in 2025, an incident that disrupted economic data collection and fuelled online misinformation campaigns, illustrating how cyberattacks are increasingly targeting critical national infrastructure rather than only financial institutions.

The findings suggest that cybercrime is no longer limited to stealing money from individuals. Increasingly, attacks are disrupting public institutions, undermining trust in official information and threatening national economic stability.

INTERPOL noted that cybercrime across Africa has evolved from isolated criminal activities into a highly organised, borderless business supported by artificial intelligence, automated software and transnational money laundering networks.

Online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime across Africa in 2025, with fraudsters using AI-generated voices, images and messages to deceive victims through social media platforms, mobile money services and messaging applications.

The organisation found that 72 percent of surveyed African countries reported the existence of organised scam centres, particularly across West and Southern Africa, where criminal groups increasingly rely on AI tools to personalise fraudulent messages and impersonate trusted individuals or institutions.

West Africa was also identified as the continent’s leading hotspot for Business Email Compromise (BEC), one of the world’s most financially damaging cybercrimes. These attacks typically involve criminals impersonating company executives or suppliers to trick businesses into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts.

Beyond traditional cyberattacks, INTERPOL warned that criminals are increasingly exploiting Africa’s expanding fintech and cryptocurrency sectors.

Mobile money fraud, cryptocurrency scams, Ponzi schemes and romance scams continue to spread across the continent, with many operations disguising themselves as legitimate fintech start-ups while laundering proceeds through cross-border financial networks.

One of the report’s most concerning findings is the rapid growth of synthetic identity fraud.

Criminals are now combining genuine personal information with fabricated data to create entirely new identities capable of bypassing biometric verification systems. These fake identities are then used to open bank accounts, obtain digital loans, register SIM cards and facilitate large-scale financial fraud.

The report warned that as more African countries adopt digital identity programmes and electronic Know-Your-Customer (KYC) systems, synthetic identities could become one of the continent’s fastest-growing cyber threats.

INTERPOL also identified poor coordination among banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies as one of the biggest weaknesses enabling cybercriminals to operate with relative ease.

According to the assessment, the absence of real-time intelligence sharing means fraudulent transactions, compromised accounts and emerging cyber threats are often detected too late to prevent significant losses.

The report further highlighted fragmented cybercrime legislation across African countries and limited preparedness among law enforcement agencies to investigate AI-enabled crimes.

While criminals increasingly deploy advanced technologies, many police agencies continue to face shortages of digital forensic tools, specialised investigators and AI expertise.

Speaking on the findings, Neal Jetton, director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, described cybercrime as one of the region’s most significant and rapidly evolving criminal threats.

He said stronger international cooperation would be essential to keeping pace with increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.

Despite the growing threat, INTERPOL said coordinated international operations are beginning to produce tangible results.

According to the report, four major multinational operations—Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0—led to more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over $100 million linked to cybercrime.

The organisation said these operations demonstrate that coordinated intelligence sharing across borders can significantly disrupt organised cybercriminal networks.

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Looking ahead, INTERPOL urged African governments to strengthen cross-border cooperation, harmonise cybercrime legislation, invest in AI training for investigators and prosecutors, standardise digital forensic capabilities and deepen collaboration with technology companies, banks and telecommunications operators.

The report suggests Africa is entering a new phase of cyber risk where artificial intelligence is reshaping both the scale and complexity of digital crime. Without stronger cyber defences, experts warn the technologies driving the continent’s digital economy could also become its greatest vulnerability.