INTERPOL reports 55% of cybercrime in Africa now AI-enabled, as losses hit $484m

Stanley Ihedigbo

Africa is entering a new and increasingly complex phase of cybercrime as criminals turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to scale online scams, create synthetic identities and bypass existing security systems, prompting calls for stronger, locally developed and rights-respecting responses across the continent.

The latest warning is contained in the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, released on August 3, which revealed that 55 per cent of cybercrimes reported in Africa are now AI-enabled.

The report also disclosed that financial losses linked to cybercrime have more than doubled since 2024, reaching $484 million, underscoring the growing economic and security consequences of digital crime across the continent.

According to the assessment, online scams remain the most frequently reported form of cybercrime in Africa, with the financial services, telecommunications and government sectors among the hardest hit.

The growing use of artificial intelligence has further complicated the fight against cybercrime, as criminals increasingly exploit sophisticated technologies to automate attacks, manipulate information and impersonate legitimate individuals and organisations.

One of the emerging threats identified is the use of AI-generated synthetic identities, in which criminals combine genuine personal information with fabricated elements to create convincing identities capable of defeating biometric and other verification systems.

The development has raised concerns among cybersecurity experts and digital rights advocates over the ability of existing laws, security infrastructure and regulatory frameworks to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

The findings have also strengthened calls for African governments to move beyond reactive approaches and develop coordinated strategies that combine cybersecurity, digital rights, innovation and public accountability.

Calls for homegrown AI solutions

The concerns come amid a growing push by Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African organisation advocating digital rights and inclusion, for African countries to develop AI policies and systems that reflect the continent’s realities while protecting fundamental rights.

PIN, which has offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe and works with partners in more than 27 African countries, recently developed a primer titled “What is the Whole Fuss About AI?”

The publication seeks to deepen public understanding of artificial intelligence while drawing attention to some of the challenges associated with its regulation and deployment across Africa.

Among the major concerns identified by the organisation are surveillance without accountability, the use of internet shutdowns as a regulatory mechanism and the growing tendency of governments to adopt what it describes as “copy and paste” laws that fail to adequately reflect local realities.

PIN argues that the rapid expansion of AI strategies across African countries must be accompanied by meaningful safeguards and public participation.

The organisation maintains that the key question should not simply be whether artificial intelligence presents risks, but also how the technology can be used responsibly to improve society and expand opportunities for citizens.

It believes stakeholders should ask critical questions about how society benefits from AI, whether standards governing the technology are inclusive, and what mechanisms are available for citizens to seek redress when AI systems cause harm.

Inclusion must be at the centre
Paradigm Initiative has particularly stressed the importance of inclusion in the design and regulation of AI systems.
According to the organisation, technology standards developed without the participation and realities of women, rural communities, persons with disabilities and speakers of African languages risk excluding the very populations that digital transformation is expected to serve.

The organisation warns that AI systems and policies cannot be considered truly inclusive if significant sections of African society are absent from the processes through which those systems are designed, regulated and deployed.

This concern is particularly significant given Africa’s linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic diversity.

AI systems trained primarily on data and languages from outside the continent may fail to adequately understand local contexts, while regulatory frameworks imported wholesale from other jurisdictions may not address Africa’s specific technological, economic and governance realities.

PIN therefore advocates for homegrown solutions that are informed by African experiences while remaining consistent with universal principles of human rights and accountability.

Beyond Regulation and Restriction
Paradigm Initiative has cautioned governments and other stakeholders against approaching emerging technologies solely from the perspective of risk, restriction or control.

Rather, it advocates a more balanced approach capable of addressing technology-related abuse while allowing societies to benefit from innovation.

Such an approach, according to the organisation, requires collaboration among governments, law enforcement agencies, technology companies, financial institutions, civil society organisations, researchers and users of digital platforms.

The organisation believes that meaningful solutions will only emerge when the appropriate stakeholders are involved in designing policies, standards and safeguards.

This collaborative approach is becoming increasingly important as the boundary between cybercrime, artificial intelligence and digital identity continues to evolve.

For law enforcement agencies, the rapid adoption of AI by criminals means that traditional cybersecurity tools may no longer be sufficient.

For financial institutions and telecommunications companies, the increasing sophistication of scams and synthetic identities presents significant challenges to customer verification, fraud detection and financial security.

Governments, meanwhile, face the difficult task of protecting national digital infrastructure without creating excessive surveillance or restrictions that could undermine citizens’ fundamental rights.

Cybercrime threat demands coordinated Action

The scale of the threat highlighted by INTERPOL suggests that Africa cannot afford fragmented responses to AI-enabled cybercrime.

With more than half of reported cybercrime now reportedly involving AI and financial losses climbing sharply, experts and stakeholders are likely to face increasing pressure to strengthen cybersecurity capacity, improve information sharing and invest in technologies capable of detecting AI-assisted criminal activity.

At the same time, the response must ensure that legitimate users of AI are not subjected to excessive surveillance or restrictions in the name of cybersecurity.

The challenge, therefore, is to strike a balance between security and rights.
For Paradigm Initiative, this means developing AI systems and regulations that are transparent, inclusive, accountable and responsive to local realities.

The organisation maintains that citizens should have meaningful avenues for redress when automated systems make harmful or discriminatory decisions, while communities that are often excluded from technology policy discussions should have a voice in shaping the future of AI.

As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, the continent’s ability to respond effectively to AI-enabled cybercrime will increasingly depend on the strength of its institutions, cybersecurity infrastructure and regulatory systems.
But beyond technology and enforcement, the emerging debate is also about who controls AI, who benefits from it and who bears the consequences when things go wrong.

The growing cybercrime threat has therefore placed African governments and technology stakeholders at a crossroads: whether to respond primarily through restrictions and surveillance or build a more inclusive digital ecosystem in which security, innovation and fundamental rights can coexist.

Paradigm Initiative says it remains committed to advancing digital rights and inclusion across Africa and supporting solutions that make the digital environment safer, more inclusive and resilient without compromising the fundamental rights of the people it is designed to serve.