Starting on February 1st 2023, Quebec residents can freeze their credit files. This brief guide explains how to do it (for now, online). It's easy and quick.
You'll need to freeze your credit file with both credit bureaus operating in Canada: Equifax and TransUnion. For Equifax, the page we have linked will be fine, but to create an account for TransUnion you'll need to use this page instead, or they'll try to sell you a subscription.
When creating your account, you'll need to have some information about yourself at hand. Some of that you know, some you'll need to check in your documents: name, date of birth, social security number, etc. The credit bureaus will ask some questions about your past credit history (for example, what's the last credit card that you got) to verify that it's actually you.
Once you have your accounts created, you need to proceed as follows:
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Equifax: click on Customer log in on the upper right corner, enter your credentials, and on the dashboard that will appear, check the box to the right of your credit score titled "Equifax credit report status". There you can start the freeze process.
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TransUnion: once inside the OCS page, click on Login, enter your credentials, and then click on the box with the text Manage your Credit Freeze and follow the prompts.
Once your accounts are created, this will take only a couple of minutes, and you'll have much greater protections against identity theft.
Update: L'actualité has published a very nice guide in French.