What’s the Latest: Ex-RBC worker found guilty after viewing Carney’s data, opening accounts
Ibrahim El-Hakim, a former Royal Bank of Canada employee, was found guilty of three criminal charges for opening fraudulent accounts and accessing the personal banking information of Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa. The RCMP began their investigation following a complaint from RBC last year, and the immediate situation involves El-Hakim’s admission of involvement in the fraud and the upcoming sentencing hearing.
Ibrahim El-Hakim, found guilty of multiple charges including identity theft, admitted to previously opening at least 43 fraudulent accounts between November 2023 and June 2025. The RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team has confirmed that the investigation into this matter has not indicated any threat to Mark Carney’s safety or national security.
RBC has so far incurred costs of $14,634 to provide credit monitoring services to 27 clients whose identities were stolen during the incident. The court has scheduled a new sentencing date for Ibrahim El-Hakim later this month following his absence from a previous hearing.
What remains unclear — It is not known whether Ibrahim El-Hakim will appear at the rescheduled sentencing hearing later this month.
Former RBC employee convicted of fraud and unauthorised data access
A former employee of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Ibrahim El-Hakim, has been found guilty of three criminal offences related to fraudulent activities and unauthorized access of sensitive information, including the personal banking details of Prime Minister Mark Carney. The verdict follows an Ontario court ruling that detailed El-Hakim’s actions from November 2023 to June 2025, during which he opened at least 43 fraudulent accounts.
The investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commenced last year after RBC reported a breach. Court documents reveal that El-Hakim was allegedly recruited through the messaging app Telegram by an individual known only as AI WORLD. The agreed statement indicates that El-Hakim admitted to accepting financial compensation for his activities, admitting, “Mr. El-Hakim stated that he participated in the scheme because he was experiencing financial difficulties.”
In August, El-Hakim pleaded guilty to charges including fraud over $5,000, unauthorized use of a computer, and identity theft. He failed to appear for his sentencing hearing last month, prompting his lawyer to inform the court that he was no longer in Ottawa. Sentencing has been rescheduled for later this month.
The court statement outlines that on June 17, 2025, El-Hakim accessed the banking profiles of Carney, Justin Trudeau, and another individual, confirming that Trudeau’s account did not belong to the former Prime Minister. Surveillance footage showed El-Hakim using his smartphone while accessing these profiles, despite receiving prior training in ethics and security as part of his RBC employment.
As a result of the breach, RBC has incurred costs of over $14,000 for two years of credit monitoring services for affected clients. RCMP Corporal Erique Gasse confirmed in September 2025 that the investigation found no ongoing threats to Carney or national security, with the matter handled by the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.