Credit Freeze
✓ Last verified 14 Sep 2026
The short version
A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report until you formally lift it, preventing a fraudster from taking a loan or credit card in your name using stolen identity details - available in India through each credit bureau individually.
A credit freeze must be requested individually with each major bureau (TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, CRIF High Mark), typically requiring identity verification (PAN, Aadhaar) and taking 24-48 hours to activate - once in place, new lenders can't access your report to approve a fresh loan or card in your name, a meaningful protection if you suspect your identity details have been compromised. A related but distinct feature, a credit lock, offers instant on/off toggling through some bureaus' own apps, trading the freeze's stronger formal protection for convenience. Existing loans/EMIs and your score continue functioning normally either way - only new credit applications are blocked.
Want this worked out for your own numbers?