Artificial intelligence is now linked to 55% of reported cybercrime across Africa, accelerating attacks, expanding their scale and making them increasingly difficult for victims and digital platforms to detect, according to INTERPOL.
The findings from the INTERPOL’s 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment Report comes as Africa’s digital economy expands rapidly, increasing the number of people, businesses and public services exposed to technology-enabled crime.
The assessment describes a cybercrime ecosystem that is becoming increasingly organised, borderless and technology-driven, with criminals combining artificial intelligence, synthetic identities and sophisticated social-engineering techniques.
The 2026 assessment forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It draws on intelligence from African law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity partners to track the changing threat landscape.
The findings point to a shift from relatively isolated cyber incidents towards an increasingly industrialised model in which criminal groups use technology to automate operations, reach more victims and reduce the cost of executing attacks.
Online scams remained the most frequently reported form of cybercrime across Africa in 2025, with criminals increasingly exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and generative AI to target victims. According to the assessment, reported financial losses increased from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million, driven by AI-enabled scams, credential harvesting and automated…
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Read Full Article by Iretomiwa Balogun at technologytimes.ng
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