Is that credit card offer you received too good to be true? You may be right!

We have recently become aware of credit card offers that are not quite what they appear to be. If you receive an offer of credit that requires you to submit a “processing” or “membership” fee along with your signature on an acceptance certificate, think twice. These offers may restrict your use of qualified credit to purchases out of a catalog that is sent to you along with the new credit card. This means that the credit card may not be used for any other purposes typically associated with the use of credit cards. For example, you may not use the credit card for department store shopping, dining out, vacation expenses, car repairs, etc. Another possibility is that you may lose your processing or membership fee entirely and never hear from the company again.

You can protect yourself! Before you submit any documents or funds, carefully read the fine print on any offers you may receive. If you have any doubts, contact the Better Business Bureau for its rating on the company and for the company’s history of complaints. Additionally, contact the Consumer Hotline at the District Attorney’s Office (559-730-2556) to file a report. Some offers you receive may be more that questionable, they may be illegal.