OTTAWA — A Royal Bank of Canada employee in Ottawa is facing criminal charges after allegedly accessing the banking profiles of Prime Minister Mark Carney and former prime minister Justin Trudeau, in what police believe was part of a wider organized crime scheme.
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday that Ibrahim El-Hakim, 23, has been charged with fraud over $5,000, unauthorized use of a computer, identity theft and trafficking in identity information.
According to an affidavit obtained by CBC/Radio-Canada, El-Hakim — hired by RBC in 2022 and working at a branch near Parliament Hill — allegedly misused the bank’s IT systems to access sensitive accounts and create fraudulent profiles. Investigators say much of the activity was caught on video, and that El-Hakim admitted his role during an interview with RBC security.
Court documents state El-Hakim told the bank he was recruited online by someone using the handle “AI WORLD” on Telegram, an account investigators suspect is tied to organized crime. At the direction of this contact, he allegedly created fake profiles, secured lines of credit, and accessed high-profile accounts, including those of Carney and Trudeau on June 17.
El-Hakim told investigators he received $500 per task, earning around $5,000 in total.
He was arrested on July 10 and later released on conditions. He is scheduled to appear in court next week.
The RCMP stressed there is no indication that the prime minister’s safety or national security was compromised.
RBC confirmed El-Hakim is no longer employed at the bank.