Credit Ban in Australia: How to Freeze Your Credit Report

The ban is free, lasts 21 days and can be extended as long as you are likely to be a fraud victim.

By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 23, 2026

In Australia, the closest tool to a US credit freeze is a “ban period” on your credit report. This guide follows the OAIC’s page “Fraud and your credit report”.

What a credit ban is

If you have been, or are likely to be, the victim of fraud, including identity fraud, you can ask a credit reporting body to ban the use or disclosure of your consumer credit report during credit checks. The OAIC describes the ban as a temporary restriction that alerts lenders to possible fraud.

How long it lasts

The ban lasts 21 days after you first make the request. That is short by design, and you can extend it.

How to request one

Apply online with any of the three credit reporting bodies.

• Equifax: equifax.com.au/eform/submit/credit-ban
• Experian: experian.com.au/consumer/request-a-ban
• illion: illion.com.au/credit-report-ban-request

The OAIC recommends applying to all three, since each may hold a report on you. Alternatively, you can ask one body to pass your request to the other two, which it must do as soon as reasonably practicable.

What a ban prevents

During the ban, the credit reporting body cannot use or disclose your report unless you consent in writing or an Australian law, or a court or tribunal order, requires it. If a lender asks for your report, the body will tell the lender about the ban. The OAIC notes a ban may make it harder for you to get credit yourself, because lenders may need to collect more information from you directly.

Extending the ban

If you are still concerned near the end of the 21 days, you can ask for an extension. The body must extend the ban if it believes you have been, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud, and it must confirm the extension in writing with its length. There is no limit on how many times a ban can be extended. Before the ban expires, the body must notify you at least five business days in advance, including the end date, your right to extend and any information it needs to support your fraud claim.

Lifting a ban

If you need credit while a ban is in place, you can apply to lift it through an online form on the credit reporting body’s website.

Cost

The OAIC states that requesting a ban period, or an extension, is free.

When to use a ban

Think about a ban if:

• your identity documents were lost or stolen;
• you were told your details were in a data breach;
• you lost money in a scam and gave out personal information;
• someone may have taken out credit in your name.

Our guide to the Medibank breach and Optus breach case show how large exposures happen in Australia.

What else to do after identity theft

1. Contact the organisations involved, such as your bank, and tell them what happened.
2. Change passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.
3. Get your credit reports from the three bodies and check them.
4. Watch for follow-up scam calls and texts. See the Australian Do Not Call Register.
5. Use the steps in what to do if your identity is stolen.

Compared with a US freeze

A US credit freeze stays until you lift it. An Australian ban is time-limited but renewable. See credit freeze vs fraud alert for the US approach.