c, released on Monday based on survey responses from 36 African member countries stating “Cyber-criminality has evolved from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem,”
It added that AI has become a major enabler of cybercrime, making attacks “faster, more scalable, and increasingly difficult for victims and platforms to detect” noting cybercrime-related financial losses across the continent have more than doubled since 2024, rising from $192m to $484m, driven by AI-assisted scams, credential theft and automated social engineering campaigns.
Variations of AI Powered Scam
The organisation further warned that cybercriminals are increasingly relying on AI to bypass security systems by creating synthetic identities: digital personas generated by combining genuine personal information with fabricated details.
“The absence of real-time, inter-agency data sharing between banks, telecoms and law enforcement creates a dangerous blind spot in efforts to combat financial fraud.
“This vulnerability is being exploited by criminals who have moved beyond simply stealing existing credentials to creating entirely synthetic identities.
“Combining real personal data with fabricated elements, these AI-generated digital personas can bypass even advanced biometric verification systems and have been used to open bank accounts, secure mobile loans and register SIM cards under false names,” the report added.
INTERPOL further noted that Business Email Compromise scams have become significantly more convincing through AI-generated emails
“The sophistication of Business E-Mail Compromise schemes increased dramatically, with AI used to generate highly convincing e-mail correspondence,” it said.
The report also highlighted the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media in online harassment and digital sextortion with more than 600,000 sextortion detections recorded by Interpol’s cybersecurity partner TrendAI during the review period.
“Digital sextortion and online harassment, often facilitated by AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media, remained pervasive,” the report stated.
The report recommended greater investment in digital forensic capabilities, enhanced cross-border cooperation, improved AI literacy for law enforcement personnel and stronger public-private partnerships to tackle the growing cyber threat across Africa.
