NAIROBI, Kenya- Artificial intelligence is now driving more than half of reported cybercrime across Africa, with East Africa emerging as a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The 40-page report paints a worrying picture of a rapidly evolving cybercrime landscape, warning that criminals are increasingly using AI to launch faster, more sophisticated and harder-to-detect attacks as the continent’s digital economy expands.
With Africa recording more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, digital connectivity has accelerated financial inclusion and online services.
However, INTERPOL warns that fragmented cybercrime laws and limited AI preparedness among law enforcement agencies are leaving many countries vulnerable.
Drawing on survey data from 36 African member states, the report concludes that cybercrime has evolved from isolated criminal activity into an industrialised, borderless ecosystem powered by artificial intelligence.
East Africa Under Growing Cyber Threat
Among Africa’s regions, East Africa stands out as a major centre for mobile money fraud and infrastructure-focused ransomware attacks.
The report notes that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting the region’s fast-growing digital payments ecosystem, exploiting weaknesses in mobile money platforms and digital financial services. R
ansomware attacks against essential infrastructure are also becoming more frequent, posing risks to government institutions, businesses and critical public services.
Elsewhere on the continent, Central and West Africa continue to experience widespread business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams targeting both companies and individuals, while Southern Africa’s advanced digital connectivity has made it an attractive target for international cybercriminal groups seeking maximum disruption.
Cybercrime Losses More Than Double
The financial impact of cybercrime across Africa continues to rise sharply.
According to the report, cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled since 2024, increasing from USD 192 million to USD 484 million. INTERPOL attributes much of the increase to AI-enabled scams, credential theft and automated social engineering attacks.
Online scams remained the most commonly reported cybercrime throughout 2025, with fraudsters increasingly using mobile money services, social media platforms and AI-generated content to deceive victims.
The report further reveals that 72 per cent of surveyed countries identified the presence of organised scam centres, with the highest concentrations found in Southern and West Africa.
AI Creating New Generation of Digital Fraud
INTERPOL warns that artificial intelligence is transforming virtually every stage of cybercrime.
Digital sextortion and online harassment have become increasingly sophisticated through the use of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media. One of INTERPOL’s partners, TrendAI, recorded approximately 600,000 detections of digital sextortion during the reporting period.
Business Email Compromise schemes have also become significantly more convincing, with AI being used to generate highly realistic email conversations.
According to the report, Africa-based cybercriminals are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America while operating infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.
The report also identifies a critical weakness in the region’s cyber defence systems: the lack of real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies.
Criminal networks are exploiting these gaps by creating synthetic identities that combine genuine personal information with fabricated data.
These AI-generated identities are capable of bypassing sophisticated biometric verification systems and have been used to open bank accounts, secure mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
Regional Cooperation Delivering Results
Despite the growing threat, INTERPOL says coordinated regional operations are producing significant successes.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, said cybercrime has become one of the region’s most significant security challenges.
“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.
“However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled.”
The report highlights notable progress in strengthening Africa’s cyber resilience.
During 2025, 17 African countries enacted or updated cybercrime legislation. Senegal also launched an online reporting platform aimed at improving responses to online offences affecting children.
INTERPOL says regional capacity-building initiatives continue to strengthen long-term cyber resilience while improving investigative capabilities across the continent.
Operational cooperation has also yielded tangible results.
Four major INTERPOL-led operations—Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0—resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over USD 100 million linked to cybercrime.
Call for Stronger East African Defences
The report urges African governments, including those in East Africa, to invest in standardised digital forensic capabilities, strengthen cross-border cooperation and improve AI literacy among law enforcement agencies.
It also calls for stronger partnerships between governments and the private sector to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the continent’s digital threat landscape.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026 forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with technical contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
