Artificial intelligence played a role in 55% of cybercrime cases reported across Africa in 2025, according to a major INTERPOL assessment. Criminal networks are using the technology to make attacks faster, more convincing and easier to scale.
INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 draws on information from 36 African member countries and private-sector threat intelligence. It describes a cybercrime landscape increasingly shaped by organised networks that operate across national borders.
Reported financial losses linked to cybercrime more than doubled between 2024 and 2025. They rose from $192 million to $484 million, while identified victims increased from 35,000 to 87,000. AI-assisted scams, credential theft and automated social engineering contributed to the growing threat.
Southern Africa faces significant exposure as digital services expand across the region. INTERPOL found a high concentration of scam centres in Southern and West Africa. Across the continent, 72% of surveyed countries reported the presence of such operations.
South Africa’s highly connected banking, telecommunications and digital services sectors place cybersecurity firmly on the country’s economic agenda. Greater connectivity supports economic growth, but it also gives criminals more potential targets.
Online scams remain the most commonly reported cybercrime across Africa. Criminals increasingly use AI to produce convincing phishing messages and strengthen business email compromise schemes. They can also combine genuine personal information with fabricated details to create synthetic identities and bypass verification systems.
AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media have added another dimension to digital fraud, sextortion and online harassment. INTERPOL’s findings show how criminals are adopting the same technologies driving legitimate digital innovation.
“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, INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime.
Governments are strengthening their response. Seventeen African countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025. However, gaps in technical capacity, legislation and cross-border information sharing continue to complicate investigations.
INTERPOL has called for stronger digital forensic capabilities, greater AI expertise within law enforcement and deeper international cooperation.
Africa’s digital transformation continues to expand access to banking, business and public services. Yet the INTERPOL assessment shows that cybercrime is no longer simply an IT concern. Protecting digital systems is becoming increasingly important to financial stability, public confidence and the continent’s wider economic growth.
