The post imitates many others passive income offers AFP he has unmasked.
“This is a fraudulent advertisement. We encourage all consumers to be aware when it comes to online scams,” RBC spokeswoman Gillian McArdle said in a July 12 email, pointing to tips on the bank’s website to prevent fraud (archived here).
A reverse image search confirms that McKay’s clip was doctored.
Canada’s Asian Television Network (ATN) carried the original for YouTube on January 4, 2024 (archived here). He wears the same gray suit and purple striped tie while speaking to the president of ATN Shan Chandrasekar (filed here).
McKay says the word investment just once – and he’s not referring to a supposed passive income scheme for Canadians.
“We won some awards that I’m most proud of,” he says. “It’s things like the economists who rank our RBC Capital Markets business globally as the most trusted investment bank in the world.”
McKay’s mouth is not in sync with the words he appears to be saying in the clip circulating on Facebook.
Other elements of the post also indicate that the offer is fraudulent:
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The page promoting it is called “Everything you need from the UK” and the page’s transparency details do not show any administrators located in Canada.
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The post appears to have 42 comments, but none are visible.
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The link in the post does not lead to an investment platform, but rather to the website for a conference organized by a group in Ottawa.
Meta Ad Library claims the video violated its terms of service as a promotional ad. But the post remains online, with around 50,000 views, and can be shared by Facebook users.
Read more AFP reports on disinformation in Canada here.
