|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Cybercrime is becoming a significant share of overall criminal activity in Africa, according to Interpol’s latest threat assessment released in 2024. The report finds that over two-thirds of the 54 African member states consider cyber-enabled crimes to represent a medium to high portion of total crime.
Phishing remains the most prevalent cybercrime, accounting for approximately one-third of reported incidents. Other leading threats include ransomware attacks and business email compromise, both of which continue to disrupt public and private sector operations across the continent.
A notable development in 2024 has been a marked increase in romance scams, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin. These scams have emerged as one of Africa’s most widespread forms of online fraud.
Interpol also cited the International Telecommunication Union’s Cyber Threat Index, which lists Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria among the most frequently targeted countries by cybercriminals globally. The report warns that attacks are growing more sophisticated, with criminal networks increasingly deploying artificial intelligence and manipulating social media to exploit victims and evade detection.
Interpol called for urgent action to enhance cybersecurity measures, improve public awareness, and invest in national and regional cybercrime response capabilities to counter the evolving threat landscape.
Interpol-Image-by-Dmytro-Konovalenko
