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Cybercrime incidents make up a growing share of overall crime in Africa, the latest threat assessment by Interpol found.
More than two-thirds of the 54 African member countries of the cross-border police organisation said cyber-enabled crimes were a medium to high share of all crimes in 2024, the agency said in a report. Phishing is the most frequently reported cybercrime in Africa, comprising a third of all incidents, while ransomware attacks, and business email compromise are some of the other leading threats.
A “surge” in romance scams in 2024 — particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin — has made it one of Africa’s top online scams, the report said. And, citing a cyberthreat index by the International Telecommunication Union, it said Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria were among the countries most frequently targeted globally by cybercriminals in 2024. Attacks are becoming more sophisticated, especially with the strategic use of artificial intelligence and social media manipulation by criminals, Interpol said.
