Court records reveal an unusual case of alleged fraud
The RCMP has charged a 23-year-old Ottawa man who allegedly accessed prime minister Mark Carney’s personal banking information while working at the Royal Bank of Canada.
Ibrahim El-Hakim, an RBC employee hired in 2022, was arrested on July 10 and faces charges of fraud over $5,000, unauthorized use of a computer, identity theft, and trafficking in identity information.
“According to the investigation, Mr. El-Hakim allegedly used the RBC’s IT services for criminal purposes, including consulting several bank profiles without authorization and participating in fraud,” RCMP spokesperson Erique Gasse wrote in an email to CTV News. He confirmed El-Hakim was released with conditions and a promise to appear in court.
Court documents filed in connection with the case show El-Hakim admitted to accessing multiple banking profiles, including those belonging to Carney and an individual named Justin Trudeau. The RCMP later confirmed the Trudeau profile was not that of the former prime minister.
An affidavit obtained by CBC News states El-Hakim told investigators he had been approached on the social media platform Telegram by someone using the name “AI WORLD.” The documents suggest police believe the account is linked to organized crime.
El-Hakim said he created fake bank profiles, secured lines of credit, and looked up account information at the request of the Telegram contact. He told investigators he was paid $500 for each task, earning a total of about $5,000.
The affidavit indicates much of El-Hakim’s activity was captured on video, and he acknowledged his role in an interview with RBC’s internal security team, CBC News reported.
RBC spokesperson Cheryl Brean said in a statement to CTV News the bank “independently identified unauthorized system access” and “took immediate action to engage authorities.” She confirmed El-Hakim is no longer employed at RBC.
The RCMP said the investigation is being handled by its Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, though Gasse emphasized there was no threat to public safety or to the prime minister’s security.
Finance minister François-Philippe Champagne declined to comment on specifics of the case but told CBC News, “It just reminds everyone that privacy and having systems to prevent fraudulent access to anyone’s file is something we should all be concerned about.”
El-Hakim appeared in court on Aug. 6 and is scheduled to return on Oct. 1.
