Cybercrime is on the rise in Africa, with suspected scam notifications increasing by nearly 3,000% in some countries, as reported by INTERPOL’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2025. This surge is part of a broader trend of sophisticated cyberthreats that are undermining the continent’s digital transformation.
The report highlights four dominant cybercrime trends impacting the region: online scams, ransomware attacks, business email compromise (BEC), and digital sextortion. Online scams, particularly phishing, remain the most prevalent threat, with countries like Zambia, Egypt, and Kenya experiencing sharp spikes in scam-related incidents. Cybercriminals are using artificial intelligence to create convincing phishing emails and impersonate trusted brands, making these scams harder to detect. Phishing accounts for over a third of all reported cyber incidents in Africa.
Romance scams are also on the rise, with fraudsters in West Africa exploiting social media and dating platforms to manipulate victims into sending money or investing in fake cryptocurrency schemes. INTERPOL warns that the true financial and emotional impact of these scams is likely underreported.
Ransomware attacks have seen a sharp increase, with South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya among the hardest hit. These attacks have targeted hospitals, telecoms, government agencies, and utilities, causing significant service disruptions. High-profile incidents include the South African Department of Defence losing 1.6TB of data to hackers and Telecom Namibia’s breach compromising over 492,000 sensitive files.
Business email compromise is thriving across Africa, with attackers intercepting and manipulating corporate emails to generate substantial losses. AI and deepfake technology are making these scams more convincing, with fraudsters impersonating executives to trick employees into transferring funds.
Digital sextortion, fueled by AI-generated explicit content and organized crime networks, is also on the rise. INTERPOL’s data shows significant increases in sextortion cases, especially in Morocco, Egypt, and Mali. Victims face psychological distress, financial loss, and reputational harm, with young people being particularly vulnerable.
While some progress has been made in countering cybercrime, Africa’s capacity to address these threats remains uneven. Weak legal frameworks, limited resources, and poor cross-border cooperation are identified as key obstacles. The report urges African nations to enhance public-private collaboration, invest in digital literacy, and prioritize international partnerships to secure the continent’s digital future.
