Predatory Lending Industry Front Group Disguises Itself As Consumer Rights Group

Astroturfing is slang for public relations campaigns that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous grassroots efforts, hence the reference to the artificial grass AstroTurf.

The goal of an Astroturfing campaign is to disguise the efforts as an independent public reaction to an opponent. Astroturfers attempt to orchestrate actions by both overt ("outreach," "awareness," etc.) and covert (disinformation) means.

An over-the-top bit of Astroturfing has shown up with a predatory lending industry front group calling itself the Consumers Rights League. The "Consumer Rights League" has actually been launched to oppose government reform of predatory lender loan sharking practices that have ensnared Americans in harmful payday loans, fostered hundreds of thousands of family foreclosures, tanked the stock market and helped put our country into a recession.

The predatory lenders have a lot to lose if governments ever catch on.

The primary target of this fake grassroots effort is the Center for Responsible Lending. Since they are the intended victims, the Center for Responsible Lending has provided facts about the misinformation and distortions predatory lenders are spreading here: "Debunking Industry Propaganda".