Americans for Fairness in Lending

“We were doing things that were absolutely unethical...It’s unimaginable to me that Congress allows these things to happen in this country.”

- Cate Colombo, Former MBNA Customer Service Representative

(September 24, 2008) With the U.S. House of Representatives having passed the new Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights, former employees of credit card giant MBNA, now Bank of America, are stepping forward with Americans for Fairness in Lending (AFFIL) to share startling first-hand accounts of how their employers deliberately misled and manipulated consumers into taking on
unmanageable amounts of debt.

“With our economy slowing and Americans turning to credit cards to cover everyday necessities such as groceries, gas, mortgages or medical care, consumers need to know how they are being
targeted and taken advantage of by credit card lenders,” stated AFFIL Executive Director Jim Campen. “Many of these companies have taken advantage of deregulation to adopt a 'tricks and
traps' business model that drives consumers ever-deeper into debt. The more consumers know about these deceptive practices, the more passionate they become in calling for an end to predatory
credit card lending.”

Press-Release-Cate-and-Jerry.pdf