Predatory lending -- the imposition of unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers -- has drawn increasing fire from community activists and legislators in recent years. Consumer advocates charge that predatory lenders like Household Finance use aggressive sales tactics and deception to trap borrowers, who most commonly live in poor or minority communities, into complex financing schemes that price gouge clients, undercut their credit ratings, ratchet up home foreclosures and threaten the financial stability of whole communities. Chris Geovanis of Chicago Indymedia reports: