Interpol: AI Powers 55% of African Cybercrime, Losses Hit $484M

Interpol has documented that in 2025, AI was involved in 55% of all cybercrime in Africa, while financial losses grew from $192 million to $484 million — data collected across 36 countries. Among the primary tools: deepfakes used for extortion (roughly 600,000 cases) and synthetic identities to bypass biometric systems.

Interpol analysts call 2025 a tipping point: AI has moved from being an auxiliary tool to a full automator of the criminal process — from target reconnaissance to executing the attack. Four coordinated operations resulted in 1,500 arrests and $100 million in seized assets, but the scale of the threat continues to grow.