Artificial intelligence is enabling 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa making attacks faster, more scalable, and increasingly difficult for victims and platforms to detect, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026. With more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers recorded in 2025, Africa’s digital transformation is expanding rapidly. ALSO READ: Increasing cybercrime 'burdening prosecutors' However, cybercrime legislation is fragmented and AI readiness in law enforcement agencies remains alarmingly low. The 40-page report draws on survey data from 36 African member countries and highlights a defining shift: cyber-criminality has evolved from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem. In the report’s findings, East Africa emerged as a hub of mobile money fraud and infrastructure-targeted ransomware, while business email compromise and romance scams targeting both corporate and individual victims were prolific in Central and West Africa. Southern Africa’s ultra-high connectivity makes it a magnet for global threat actors seeking maximum disruption. Since 2024, cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled, from USD 192 million to USD 484 million, driven primarily by AI-facilitated scams, credential harvesting, and automated social engineering campaigns. ALSO READ: Petition against Rwanda’s cybercrime law set for pre-trial According to the report, in 2025, online scams continued to be the most reported type of cybercrime, with attackers leveraging mobile money platforms, social media and AI to reach their targets. Notably, 72 per cent of surveyed countries reported the presence of scam centres, with the highest concentration in Southern and West Africa. This vulnerability is being exploited by criminals who have moved beyond simply stealing existing credentials to creating entirely synthetic identities. Combining real personal data with fabricated elements, these AI-generated digital personas can bypass even advanced biometric verification systems and have been used to open bank accounts, secure mobile loans and register SIM cards under false names. Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime unit said 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,” he said. “However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled,” he added. ALSO READ: Strengthening cybersecurity in Rwanda’s SACCOs amid digital transformation In 2025, 17 countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation, including the launch of an online reporting platform in Senegal aimed at enhancing the response to online violations affecting children. At the same time, regionally coordinated capacity building initiatives continue to strengthen long-term cyber resilience. In its recommendations, the report calls for standardized digital forensic capabilities, enhanced cross-border cooperation, investment in AI literacy among law enforcement officers and formal-public private partnership to support effective prevention, detection and response.
