Interpol report based on 36 African countries points to artificial intelligence as the engine behind scams, extortion and attacks that have turned cybercrime into an “industrialized ecosystem.”
The African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, based on data from 36 African countries, warns that cybercrime has stopped being made up of isolated incidents and has instead become an “industrialized and borderless ecosystem.”
Interpol emphasized that Africa’s rapid digital transformation, with more than 1.1 billion registered mobile communications service subscribers in 2025, has also increased exposure to fraud, attacks and extortion. The organization warned that cybercrime legislation “remains fragmented” and that the preparedness of security forces to deal with AI-facilitated crimes “remains low.”
According to the document, cybercrime-related losses in Africa “more than doubled” since 2024, rising from 192 million dollars (about 164 million euros) to 484 million dollars (about 413 million euros). This increase was driven mainly by AI-facilitated scams, credential theft and automated campaigns. Scams were, in 2025, the most reported type of cybercrime, with attackers relying on mobile money platforms, social networks and artificial intelligence to reach victims.
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Interpol also highlighted that 72% of the countries surveyed reported the presence of scam centers, with the highest concentration in southern and western Africa.
By region, East Africa has become a hotspot for fraud through mobile payment systems and digital wallets, as well as ransomware attacks (malicious software that blocks or encrypts a victim’s files and demands a ransom to restore access) directed against infrastructure.
In Central and West Africa, meanwhile, a high incidence of “business email compromise scams and romance scams” was recorded, Interpol indicated. In the south of the continent, high connectivity has turned the region into a “priority target” for global cybercriminals, according to Interpol.
The organization also warned of the rise in digital sexual extortion and online harassment, in many cases facilitated by deepfakes (face-swapping and voice imitation making people appear to say or do things they never did) generated through AI. TrendAI, one of the partners that collaborated with Interpol, recorded around 600,000 cases of digital sexual extortion in Africa.
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“Cybercrime has become one of the most significant criminal threats to the region,” said the director of Interpol’s cybercrime unit, Neal Jetton. “AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack, from reconnaissance to extortion and evasion,” he added.
Despite the worsening scenario, Interpol highlighted progress in the regional response, with 17 countries approving or amending cybercrime legislation in 2025. Operational cooperation led to more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of devices, and the recovery of more than 100 million dollars (about 85 million euros) across four operations coordinated by Interpol.
