Canadian Lenders Face $123 Million Credit Card Loss as First-Party Fraud Surges
RN
Reese North
SEC retail investor rule · Apr 17, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
Credit card lenders in Ontario reported $123 million in fraud-related losses. This is the result of a 31% year-over-year rise in first-party fraud across Canada between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025. First-party fraud occurs when individuals use their real identity but falsify income, employment, or debt data. In the credit card sector, first-party fraud rose from 0.08% to 0.15% during this period. The most common tactic is the submission of contradictory or mismatched financial information, which now accounts for 77% of cases, up from 59%.
Banking and deposits saw a parallel shift. Third-party fraud attempts fell from 0.45% to 0.32%, while first-party fraud climbed from 0.51% to 0.68%. Within that category, falsified financial information surged from 1.5% to 21% of cases, and account abuse rose from 14% to 24%.
While auto and mortgage fraud rates declined overall, delinquent portfolios still carry hidden losses. Consumers aged 35 and under account for the largest share of fraud-related credit loss in auto delinquency balances. In mortgages, these losses are concentrated among applicants aged 26 to 45.