Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
FRAUD has emerged as one of the world’s most serious and fast-growing transnational crimes, driven by artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated global criminal networks, the Interpol has warned.
In its 2026 Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment, the international policing body says fraud is no longer a peripheral offence but now sits at the centre of “polycriminality”, intersecting with organised crime, human trafficking and cybercrime.
The report highlights how advances in technology are accelerating the scale and impact of fraud, with AI-enhanced schemes now estimated to be 4.5 times more profitable than traditional methods.
It notes that so-called “agentic AI” systems can autonomously plan and execute entire fraud operations — from identifying targets to issuing ransom demands — while crimes such as sextortion are increasingly embedded within romance and investment scams using scripted and AI-generated content.
Criminal networks are also becoming more coordinated, collaborating with specialised money-laundering groups and sharing tools and expertise to expand their operations across borders.
In parts of Africa, the report warns that some terrorist groups are turning to fraud, particularly cryptocurrency-based scams, as a source of funding.
What were once regionally confined scam centres have now spread globally, involving hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Many of these people are trafficked and forced to participate in online fraud schemes.
Despite the growing threat, Interpol says law enforcement agencies are stepping up cooperation.
Since 2024, fraud-related Interpol Notices and Diffusions have increased by 54 percent, while the organisation has supported member countries in more than 1 500 transnational fraud cases involving about US$1,1 billion.
Interpol Secretary General Mr Valdecy Urquiza said the world was witnessing the “industrialisation of fraud”.
“Enabled by artificial intelligence, low-cost digital tools and increased global criminal collaboration, we are witnessing the industrialization of fraud,” he said.
“It is vital to remember that the cost of financial crime is not just money — it is people’s life savings, their dignity, and in the worst case, their lives. Strengthening cooperation between law enforcement, the private sector and raising public awareness is key in tackling this global security threat.”
The report further notes that although scam centres are frequently shut down, the masterminds behind them remain difficult to trace, often using intermediaries and shell companies to evade detection.
To address this gap, Interpol has launched Operation Shadow Storm, a new international task force funded by the United Kingdom’s Home Office as part of a coordinated, data-driven response.
The task force will leverage Interpol tools, including the I-GRIP stop-payment mechanism, to target financial fraud linked to scam centres, as well as their connections to cybercrime and human trafficking.
