Most African countries lack the skills and technology to defend against AI and social media-driven cyber attacks, warns Jason Lane-Sellers, director of Fraud and Identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
Using its Digital Identity Network, which analyses over 100 billion global transactions annually, LexisNexis tracks fraud trends and regional threats. Lane-Sellers says Africa’s growing digital market, young population and rising use of alternative and mobile payments make it a prime target for cyber criminals.
“Africa represents a growing digital market with a younger demographic, which fraudsters target. These factors, combined with alternative payment methods, emerging mobile payment solutions and faster payment systems, create an attractive environment for organised fraud,” says Lane-Sellers.
According to Interpol’s 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report, two-thirds of surveyed African member countries said cyber crime now accounts for a medium to high share of overall crime, with the rate reaching 30% in Western and Eastern Africa. SA leads the continent in ransomware incidents.
Neal Jetton, cyber crime director at Interpol, describes the threat landscape as “in flux”, citing emerging risks like AI-powered fraud. “No single agency or country can tackle this alone,” he says.
People, not systems, are the primary target
Lane-Sellers notes that attackers increasingly exploit individuals rather than infrastructure.
He explains that recent fraud and scam trends focus on consumers rather than technical infrastructure, as people are often more vulnerable than organisations. But many organisations have historically deployed fraud prevention tools that target networks or infrastructure, rather than users.
“A shift in approach and understanding is essential. However, it can be challenging for organisations to act proactively due to cost constraints or the lack of perceived urgency until the issue reaches a significant scale. This challenge is not unique to Africa. Many markets initially face challenges adapting, particularly as fraudsters operate globally and shift their targeting between regions,” says Lane-Sellers.
AI and social media fuel sophisticated scams
While AI can enhance business efficiency, it also helps criminals scale operations. Lane-Sellers says GenAI enables fraudsters to create phishing e-mails, fake websites and even deepfake videos impersonating companies or government officials. These are used in scams involving fake job offers, crypto investments and real estate fraud.
Deepfakes are increasingly deployed in romance scams and social engineering, he says.
“These tools allow criminals to operate globally while mimicking local voices and behaviours.
“AI technologies aid in detecting deepfakes, document manipulation and bot activity, ensuring users are real and genuine. Using AI to assess risk in real-time provides an effective defence against evolving threats in today’s fast-paced digital environment,” he says.
As digital interactions rise, distinguishing real users from bots or fakes becomes harder. Lane-Sellers stresses the importance of using AI to detect document tampering, bots and deepfakes in real-time.
SA a prime target
LexisNexis identifies SA as a major target for organised fraud, citing its advanced payments infrastructure and active online population.
Lane-Sellers calls for stronger consumer protection, public education and legal mechanisms to address fraud.
“Adopting a ‘trust no one’ mindset is vital for organisations and people, especially in the digital space. Organisations should validate and authenticate each interaction and transaction to establish trust. This may involve verifying the user’s identity, assessing whether they are being manipulated, ensuring transactions are genuine and allowing trusted identities to quickly transact while providing more friction for untrusted transactions.”
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