Interpol reported that AI features in 55% of registered cybercrimes in Africa. The Decoder provides this data citing a new Interpol report.
According to this synopsis, financial losses have more than doubled, rising from 192illion to 484illion. Additionally, approximately 600 cases of digital extortion using deepfakes were recorded.
The scale of reported losses and extortion makes the topic significant for law enforcement agencies, companies, and users. However, the source in the presented package is limited to metadata and does not disclose the counting methodology or the comparison period.
editorial commentary
Why it matters
If the report's data are confirmed, law enforcement agencies and companies will likely face the need to detect deepfakes and other extortion schemes more quickly. The next observable signal will be the publication of the full Interpol report with its methodology and counting period. Substantial uncertainty remains due to the single source and metadata instead of the full text.