INTERPOL has identified ransomware attacks and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered scams as leading cyber threats across Africa. This assessment comes from the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, which details the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals targeting the continent.
The report highlights that cybercriminals are combining advanced technologies with organised criminal networks. These groups are targeting critical sectors including governments, businesses, financial institutions, and essential infrastructure. The rising threat landscape demands urgent attention from policymakers and cybersecurity experts.
This trend fits into a broader narrative of digital transformation in Ghana and across Africa. While digital adoption brings economic opportunities, it also creates new vulnerabilities. The report underscores the need for robust digital security frameworks to protect these emerging digital economies.
The INTERPOL report specifically describes ransomware as one of the most disruptive forms of cybercrime. South Africa alone accounted for 92% of all ransomware detections recorded in Africa during 2025. This indicates a concentrated effort by criminals in certain regions, often targeting vital public services.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) also continues to cause substantial financial losses. The report states that 70% of detected BEC incidents originated from South Africa, with Nigeria accounting for an additional 29%. Criminals use AI to create highly convincing emails, impersonating executives to divert payments and steal sensitive financial data. One operation in Senegal attempted to fraudulently divert $7.9 million from a petroleum company.
Online fraud has expanded into industrial-scale operations, often run from organised scam centres. About 72% of African countries surveyed reported the existence of such centres. Many of these centres are linked to transnational organised crime, human trafficking, and forced labour. Mobile money fraud remains the most common online scam, identified by 97% of responding countries as a major threat.
The report also highlighted the growing use of artificial intelligence to facilitate digital sextortion. Criminals are increasingly using deepfake technology to generate fake intimate images from photographs obtained on social media. They then demand payment from victims. Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali were specifically identified among countries experiencing a rise in such cases, particularly involving young people.
Data breaches are further fuelling a wide range of cyber offences. African-origin data appearing on dark web marketplaces increased by 62%. Stolen personal information is frequently reused in identity theft, phishing schemes, financial fraud, and ransomware attacks. This creates a cascading effect of cybercrime, making individuals and organisations more vulnerable.
INTERPOL cautioned that artificial intelligence is accelerating cybercrime significantly. AI enables criminals to automate phishing campaigns and generate realistic deepfake content. It also helps them create synthetic identities and develop increasingly sophisticated malware. Cybercrime-as-a-Service platforms are making advanced cyberattack tools readily available, allowing even less experienced offenders to carry out complex attacks.
The agency concluded that Africa's cyber threat landscape is becoming increasingly interconnected. Ransomware, financial fraud, data breaches, AI-enabled scams, and organised criminal networks reinforce one another. INTERPOL called for stronger regional collaboration, harmonised cybercrime legislation, enhanced digital forensic capabilities, and greater investment in cybersecurity. These measures are crucial to strengthen the continent's resilience against emerging threats and protect its economic future.