Artificial intelligence is changing the way cybercriminals conduct familiar forms of fraud, making attacks quicker to launch, easier to scale and potentially more difficult to identify. Interpol has warned organisations that the growing use of AI is creating additional challenges for both cybersecurity teams and business leaders.
According to Neal Jetton, director of Interpol’s Cybercrime Directorate, AI is not necessarily replacing traditional cybercrime methods. Instead, criminals are increasingly using the technology to make established tactics more efficient and effective.
AI Is Strengthening Existing Cybercrime Methods
Cybercriminals are using AI to improve several techniques that were already common before the rapid expansion of generative AI.
These include phishing campaigns, business email compromise and digitally manipulated identities. AI-generated content can also help criminals produce convincing communications at greater speed, while improved translation tools can make it easier to target victims in different countries and languages.
Another concern is the use of AI to automate attempts against passwords and other credentials, potentially allowing criminals to test large numbers of combinations simultaneously.
Deepfakes add another layer to the problem by making fraudulent audio, video or digital identities appear more convincing.
Businesses Need to Identify Their Most Valuable Assets
Interpol's warning also highlights the importance of prioritising cybersecurity rather than attempting to protect every system in exactly the same way.
Businesses should first identify their most important digital and operational assets — sometimes referred to as their "crown jewels" — and assess which threats could cause the greatest disruption if those assets were compromised.
Understanding the likely nature of the threat is also important. A company facing opportunistic fraudsters may require a different defensive approach from an organisation that could become a target for sophisticated and persistent attackers.
Threat intelligence can help businesses understand how different attackers operate and use that information to strengthen their security priorities.
Cybersecurity Is Becoming a Business Risk
Cybersecurity can no longer be treated solely as a technical issue handled by an IT department.
As digital systems become closely connected with financial operations, customer information and everyday business processes, cyber incidents can have consequences beyond technology. They can affect operations, finances, reputation and decision-making.
This makes it increasingly important for senior management to connect cybersecurity planning with wider business risk management.
Businesses that recognise cyber threats but fail to incorporate them into strategic planning may still leave important areas exposed.
Agentic AI Creates a Different Type of Risk
The emergence of agentic AI introduces another concern.
Traditional AI systems may provide incorrect information, but systems capable of taking actions on behalf of users could create additional risks if they act on inaccurate or manipulated information.
The consequences could become particularly significant in areas involving financial transactions or other sensitive operations.
As AI agents gain more autonomy, businesses and users may need stronger controls around what these systems can access, what actions they can perform and when human approval is required.
Greater Convenience Can Also Increase Trust
Technology often receives a different level of scrutiny from users than financial services.
People may be accustomed to using safeguards such as fraud alerts, authentication measures and transaction protections when dealing with money. However, the same level of caution may not always be applied when adopting new applications, devices or AI-powered services.
Greater reliance on AI could therefore make trust and verification increasingly important.
Users should be particularly careful when an AI-generated message, voice, image or identity is connected to requests involving passwords, financial information or payments.
What Users and Companies Should Watch For
The growing use of AI in cybercrime means that familiar warning signs may become harder to recognise.
Businesses can reduce exposure by identifying critical assets, reviewing access controls, monitoring unusual activity and keeping employees aware of evolving fraud techniques. Independent verification can also be important when a request involves sensitive information or financial activity.
For individuals, unexpected requests for credentials, urgent payment instructions or unusual communications should be treated cautiously, even when the message appears professionally written or comes through a familiar digital channel.
For organisations reviewing broader financial and operational risks, Other Services can also be considered as part of a wider professional support framework.
The Bigger Picture
AI is giving cybercriminals new ways to improve the speed and scale of existing attacks while introducing risks associated with increasingly autonomous systems.
Interpol's warning suggests that the challenge is not simply about detecting AI-generated threats. Businesses also need to understand which assets matter most, how attackers could target them and where automated systems could create additional vulnerabilities.
As AI becomes more deeply integrated into everyday digital activity, cybersecurity will increasingly depend on a combination of technology, human oversight and careful verification.