Artificial intelligence was used in 55% of reported cybercrimes in Africa, according to an Interpol report.
The International Criminal Police Organization’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, which was published on Monday, said AI was enabling cyberattacks to be carried out faster, on a larger scale and in ways that were harder to detect.
Based on data from 36 African countries, the report said financial losses caused by cybercrime had more than doubled since 2024, rising from $192 million to $484 million.
Online fraud was the most frequently reported type of cybercrime in Africa in 2025, according to the report.
Social media, AI, mobile money
Attackers used mobile money platforms, social media and AI to reach greater numbers of people, it said.
The report did not provide a country-by-country ranking of where cybercrime was most prevalent.
It said East Africa had become a centre for fraud targeting mobile payment systems and ransomware attacks.
West and Central Africa were among the regions where business email compromise (BEC) scams and online romance fraud were concentrated, according to the report.
More than 1,500 suspects arrested
The Southern Africa sub-region, meanwhile, had emerged as a major target for international cybercrime groups because of its high level of digital connectivity, it said.
The report also said AI-powered deep-fake content had become increasingly common in cases of digital extortion and online harassment.
Senegal launched an online reporting platform in 2025 to combat online violations targeting children, while 17 African countries strengthened their cybercrime legislation that year, according to the report.
More than 1,500 suspects were apprehended in international operations coordinated by Interpol, while hundreds of digital devices were seized and more than $100 million in criminal proceeds was confiscated, it said.
The report encouraged stronger cooperation among countries, AI training for law enforcement agencies, and increased public-private partnerships to combat cybercrime.
