Ex-RBC Employee Charged in Political Leaders' Data Breach

In a significant breach of security, Canadian federal police have charged Ibrahim El-Hakim, a former employee of the Royal Bank of Canada in Ottawa, for allegedly accessing sensitive banking profiles of senior political leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney.

El-Hakim faces charges of fraud, unauthorized computer use, identity theft, and trafficking in identity information. The investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) began in early July following a formal complaint by RBC, the country's largest bank. The RCMP alleges that El-Hakim used the bank's internal IT systems to improperly access personal information, committing fraud through sharing these details.

Further complicating the situation, El-Hakim reportedly fell prey to a scheme on the social media app Telegram, promising financial rewards for extending credit lines illicitly. While El-Hakim and his legal team have yet to comment, RBC has stated that they identified the breach independently and cooperated fully with law enforcement. As concerns grow, this incident also impacts national security assessments ahead of a Financial Action Task Force audit in November.

(With inputs from agencies.)