04 August 2026 , 08:55
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Artificial intelligence has become a core driver of cybercrime in Africa, contributing to 55 percent of reported incidents across the continent, INTERPOL said Monday in a report.
The international police agency warned that the recorded frequency of AI deployment in criminal activity “represents a dramatic increase from previous years and reflects a fundamental shift in criminal methodology.” Since 2024, cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled from $192 million to $484 million, driven primarily by AI-facilitated scams, credential harvesting, and automated social engineering campaigns.
“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,” said Neal Jetton, director of INTERPOL’s cybercrime unit. “AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion.”
The 40-page “African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026,” analyzed cybercrime trends between January and December 2025 based on survey data from 26 African member countries. It gathered insights from law enforcement agencies, national cybersecurity units, and judicial authorities.
The report highlighted how online scams have transitioned from “isolated phishing incidents” into highly organized, industrialized criminal enterprises. These operations often work from centralized scam centers linked to human trafficking and transnational organized crime, similar to the massive, multi-million dollar investment fraud networks and their surrounding ecosystem of enablers exposed by OCCRP’s Scam Empire investigation last year.
According to the report, 72 percent of surveyed countries confirmed the presence of scam centers within their borders, with the highest concentration found in Southern and West Africa.
These enterprises deploy various methods across mobile money platforms and social media, using AI to target victims in Africa and beyond to generate billions in illicit revenue. INTERPOL warned that a lack of real-time data sharing between banks, telecoms, and law enforcement has created a “dangerous blind spot,” allowing Africa-based actors to launch highly convincing Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes targeting victims in Europe and North America.
The report also revealed that criminals are bypassing advanced bank security systems by using AI to create entirely “synthetic identities.” By combining real personal data with fabricated elements, these AI-generated digital personas are being used to open bank accounts, secure mobile loans, and register SIM cards under false names.
Still, the international police force noted that mobile money fraud remains the most prevalent scam, reported by 97 percent of responding countries, with East Africa as a primary hub.
The financial toll is severe across the continent; in Ghana alone, citizens lost $1.3 million between January and March 2025 because of mobile money fraud such as SIM swap attacks.
Despite the growing threat, progress in combating cybercrime is underway, with 17 countries enacting or amending cybercrime legislation. Tanzania saw a 19 percent reduction in fraud attempts following stricter SIM registration enforcement, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform aimed at enhancing the response to digital violations affecting children.
Deputy Editor