What is a credit report ban?

A credit report ban or freeze helps if you think your identity may have been stolen. If you have reasonable grounds to believe you have been or are likely to be victim of fraud, you can request a ban on your credit report. Place a ban on your Equifax credit report here.

Placing a ban on your credit report will prevent credit providers from accessing your credit report as part of a credit check.

While the ban is in place your credit information can’t be disclosed by a credit reporting body. Credit providers will not be able to see credit reporting information on any part of your credit report without your specific written permission.

This helps to safeguard against anyone using your information to try and fraudulently take credit out in your name.

If you are placing a ban on your credit report it is important to do so with each credit reporting body in Australia.

The initial ban period is for 21 days and can be extended if you need.

After 21 days, the ban on your credit report will be lifted. If you would like to have the ban remain on your credit report, before the ban period ends you can request an extension of the ban. An extension can be requested for a period of up to 12 months or such other period as is reasonable in the circumstances. To request for an extension, you will need to provide us with a police or cyber report reference number or any other information which shows that you have been, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud (including identity fraud). However, if you are an existing Optus customer impacted by the recent Optus data breach and do not have a reference number or any other additional information, you may simply state that you are an Optus customer impacted by the data breach.

It is advisable to make the ban extension request at least 5 days before the expiry of the initial ban period.

You can request for an extension of your ban here.

If you have put in a credit application during the ban period, credit providers will not be able to access your credit report which may impact your application. You can lift the ban on your credit report with us if you are expecting a credit provider to access your credit report. You can then put in another request to place a ban on your credit file again after the application has been finalised.

We can notify other credit reporting bodies of your intention to place a ban on your credit file. You can do this when you complete the ban request on our website by selecting "Yes" to the question "Would you like Equifax to notify other credit reporting bodies about this ban period request?"