INTERPOL report finds AI linked to more than half of cybercrime in Africa

Actions in the field are preceded by training workshops to ensure that officers on the ground are trained in a range of skills, including interview techniques and the use of INTERPOL’s tools and databases. Deployments effectively combine police action with input from a number of different actors such as investigators from specialized units, international and non-governmental organizations, and local victim protection and assistance services. 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.

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. East Africa emerged as a hub of mobile money fraud and infrastructure-targeted ransomware.

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. The financial toll of cybercrime in Africa is significant. 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.