Artificial intelligence is now being used in 55% of cybercrimes across Africa, according to INTERPOL’s 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment, which estimates that cyber-related losses on the continent have reached US$484 million over the past year.
The report describes AI as an increasingly important tool for cybercriminals, enabling more convincing phishing campaigns, sophisticated online fraud, deepfake scams and automated malware attacks. INTERPOL warned that the rapid adoption of generative AI has significantly lowered the technical barriers for cybercriminals, allowing both organized groups and less experienced offenders to launch increasingly complex attacks.
According to the assessment, phishing and business email compromise remain among the most common forms of cybercrime across Africa, with criminals increasingly using AI to generate highly personalized messages that are more difficult for victims to detect. The report also highlights a rise in AI-generated voice cloning and deepfake technology being used to impersonate company executives, public officials and family members in financial fraud schemes.
INTERPOL estimates that cybercrime caused US$484 million in reported financial losses across Africa during the assessment period, although the organization cautioned that the true figure is likely to be substantially higher because many incidents go unreported.
The report identifies financial institutions, government agencies, telecommunications companies, healthcare providers and critical infrastructure as among the sectors most frequently targeted by cybercriminals. Ransomware attacks, data breaches and attacks on digital payment systems were also reported to be increasing across the continent.
INTERPOL said many African countries continue to face shortages of specialized cybersecurity professionals and digital forensic capabilities, making investigations and prosecutions more difficult. The organization called for stronger cooperation among law enforcement agencies, expanded intelligence sharing and greater investment in cyber resilience.
The assessment also urged governments to update cybercrime legislation, strengthen public-private partnerships and improve public awareness of online security threats. It emphasized that businesses and individuals should adopt stronger authentication measures, regularly update software and verify suspicious communications before responding.
Despite the growing threat, INTERPOL noted that African law enforcement agencies have achieved significant successes through coordinated international operations targeting online fraud networks, ransomware groups and digital financial crime. The organization said continued collaboration among member countries will be essential as cybercriminals increasingly exploit artificial intelligence to expand the scale and sophistication of their operations.
The 2026 assessment concludes that while AI offers enormous economic and technological opportunities, it is also transforming the cybercrime landscape at an unprecedented pace, making enhanced cybersecurity capacity one of Africa’s most urgent digital priorities.
