INTERPOL warns of AI fraud explosion

Financial fraud has emerged as one of the world’s most severe and rapidly evolving transnational crimes, with significant economic and human consequences, according to Interpol. The 2026 Interpol Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment warns that with increased global criminal collaboration, fraud is no longer a peripheral threat but at the centre of polycriminality, intersecting with organized crime, human trafficking and cybercrime. The report was launched on 16 March at the Global Fraud Summit jointly organized by Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, according to an official press release.

The assessment found that AI-enhanced fraud is 4.5 times more profitable than traditional methods, with “agentic AI” systems now able to autonomously plan and execute complete fraud campaigns from reconnaissance to ransom demands. Sextortion is now being systematically integrated into scams such as romance and investment fraud, often using scripts and AI-generated content. At the same time, scam centres, once a regional phenomenon, have now been identified worldwide, involving hundreds of thousands of individuals, many of whom are trafficked and forced to carry out online fraud. In parts of Africa, terrorist groups have been found to use fraud schemes, especially crypto-based scams, as a source of funding.

The report noted that law enforcement authorities are collaborating more effectively in response to the threat. Since 2024, the number of fraud-related Interpol Notices and Diffusions has increased by 54 per cent. Over the same period, Interpol supported member countries in more than 1,500 transnational fraud cases in lost assets valued at US$1.1 billion. Criminal networks are increasingly collaborating with specialized money laundering groups and sharing expertise and technology to scale up their operations globally.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “Enabled by artificial intelligence, low-cost digital tools and increased global criminal collaboration, we are witnessing the industrialization of fraud. 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 life. Strengthening cooperation between law enforcement, the private sector and raising public awareness is key in tackling this global security threat.”

In response to the growing threat, Interpol is launching Operation Shadow Storm, a new international task force funded by the United Kingdom’s Home Office as part of a unified, data-driven response. The task force will target not only the financial frauds generated by scam centres, but also the links to cybercrime and human trafficking for forced criminality. Interpol is also issuing new Guidelines on the Establishment and Operation of a National Anti-Scam Centre to encourage effective models in support of national efforts to detect, disrupt and dismantle scams networks and their activities.

The Global Fraud Summit gathered government officials, law enforcement agencies, private sector leaders, tech companies and civil society organizations to explore cooperation and fraud prevention.