Interpol: AI now drives 55% of Africa's cybercrime as losses double to $484 million
Interpol's African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026, drawing on data from 36 countries, finds AI is used in over half of reported cybercrime on the continent — from deepfake-driven romance scams to automated credential theft — and annual losses have more than doubled since 2024, from $192 million to $484 million. 72% of surveyed countries report organized scam centres operating on their territory; four international operations last year brought over 1,500 arrests and recovered more than $100 million.
Why it mattersGenerative AI is industrializing fraud fastest in the places least resourced to fight it. The response is starting — 17 African countries updated cybercrime laws in 2025 — but the report shows the gap between AI-powered attackers and under-equipped defenders widening, not closing.
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