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Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming Africa’s cybercrime landscape, with criminals increasingly using the technology to launch more sophisticated, convincing and large-scale attacks, according to the Interpol 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment Report.
The report shows that AI is now involved in 55 percent of reported cybercrime cases across the continent, highlighting the growing adoption of advanced tools by criminal networks, according to Bitdefender.
Interpol said cybercriminals are using AI to automate phishing campaigns, create realistic deepfakes, generate synthetic identities for financial fraud and evade traditional security systems.
The assessment also revealed that reported cybercrime losses have increased sharply, rising from US$192 million in 2024 to US$484 million over the past two years.
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Online scams remain the most commonly reported cyber threat in Africa, with phishing accounting for 17 percent of reported incidents.
Criminals are using AI to create convincing emails, fake websites and fraudulent messages designed to trick individuals and organisations.
Identity theft and financial fraud accounted for 14 percent of reported cybercrime cases, while sextortion, cyberbullying, revenge pornography and online harassment also represented 14 percent of incidents, with criminals increasingly exploiting AI-generated images, voice cloning and deepfake technology.
Data breaches accounted for 11 percent of reported cases, while business email compromise (BEC), which remains among the most financially damaging cybercrimes, represented 10 percent.
Interpol said AI has enabled criminals to produce highly convincing messages that imitate company executives, suppliers and trusted business partners, making it harder for victims to identify fraudulent communications.
The report noted that cybercrime patterns differ across regions, with East Africa experiencing increased mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Central and West Africa continue to face high levels of business email compromise and romance scams, while Southern Africa’s high internet connectivity and digital adoption have attracted international cybercriminal groups.
Interpol warned that many law enforcement agencies are struggling to keep pace with the speed at which criminals are adopting AI tools, making public awareness and stronger cybersecurity measures increasingly important.
“Cybercriminals are now deploying AI-powered tools to automate phishing campaigns, generate convincing deepfakes for identity fraud and social engineering, create synthetic identities for financial fraud, and evade detection by traditional signature-based security systems,” the report said.
The agency stressed that although the findings focus on Africa, cybercrime remains a global challenge because criminal networks operate across borders and deploy similar tactics against individuals, businesses and institutions worldwide.
Interpol urged users and organisations to strengthen cybersecurity practices, including verifying suspicious requests, protecting personal information, using secure authentication methods and exercising caution when interacting with unfamiliar messages, links and online platforms.
The report further emphasised that as AI continues to evolve, combining technology-driven security solutions with increased public awareness will be essential in reducing exposure to emerging cyber threats.
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