Kirk Nosagie Iyekekpolor is accused of defrauding the Qikiqtaaluk Business Development Corporation (QBDC) of more than $2.9 million in the fall of 2024. He also allegedly defrauded the Nunavut Film Development Corporation of an additional $26,000, according to a statement from the Nunavut RCMP.
Police say the money was stolen through a business email compromise (BEC) — a cybercrime tactic in which scammers gain unauthorized access to legitimate business email accounts to redirect funds via fraudulent instructions.
Iyekekpolor was arrested by the Iqaluit RCMP with help from Alberta authorities and is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000. He has been remanded into custody, with his next court appearance scheduled for July 22 in Iqaluit.
This marks the second major fraud case in Nunavut in 2025 involving this same method. Earlier this year, a Winnipeg man was charged for allegedly using a similar scheme to steal over $2 million from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
Authorities continue to warn businesses and organizations to strengthen cybersecurity measures, especially against sophisticated phishing schemes like BEC, which remain a growing threat across Canada.
