Congressman Peter T. King (R-Seaford) wants residents to know that, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - are required to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, once every 12 months.

"Obtaining your credit report is a great way to make sure that your information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before applying for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buying insurance, or applying for a job," King said. "To avoid problems associated with identity theft, you can also monitor your credit report for delinquent accounts resulting from credit thieves using your information to open new credit cards."

According to the congressman, the three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5281. You can obtain an Annual Credit Report Request Form at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit.

"To get your free credit report you will need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth," King stated. "To maintain the security of your file you may be asked for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment."

King noted that only the www.annualcreditreport.com website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law. Other "imposter" websites that claim to offer "free credit reports," "free credit scores," or "free credit monitoring" are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program.