June 23, 2026 Ontario residents will soon be able to place a free lock on their credit files to help prevent identity fraud. The new protection comes as identity fraud became the highest-volume cybercrime category in Canada in 2024, with 9,683 reports filed to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The credit lock service, also known as a credit freeze, will become available to all Ontario residents on July 1, 2026, under Ontario’s Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act, also known as Bill 142.
A credit lock places a digital barrier on an individual’s credit file. Once activated, Equifax Canada is legally prohibited from sharing a person’s credit score and personal information with lenders.
The measure is intended to prevent fraudsters from opening new credit accounts, such as credit cards or loans, in someone else’s name without their knowledge.
The service will be offered free of charge.
Until now, consumers seeking additional protection for their credit information generally had to rely on paid credit monitoring services. Those services typically alert customers after someone has attempted to use their identity rather than preventing access to the credit file in the first place.
Identity fraud continues to be a significant issue across Canada. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, nearly 9,700 reports of identity fraud were filed in 2024.
Researchers estimate, however, that only between five and 10 per cent of fraud victims report their losses, suggesting the true scale of identity-related crime may be considerably larger.
Ontario is the second province in Canada to provide residents with access to a free credit lock service.
Quebec introduced a similar protection in February 2023 under that province’s Credit Assessment Agents Act.
Consumer advocates have long argued that restricting access to credit files is one of the most effective ways to prevent identity thieves from opening fraudulent accounts.
The Ontario government says the new service is designed to provide consumers with greater control over their personal financial information and strengthen protections against identity-related fraud.
