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Stephen Franklin

ChiTrib Uses Chronic Debtor to Decry Internet Loans

By Ken Shepherd | May 11, 2008 | 02:05

The risks and benefits of so-called payday lending are certainly worthwhile of media coverage, and genuine instances of fraud or exploitation are and should be fodder for criticism in the print media. But it helps when your highlighted victim actually has good credit to start with and/or isn't consistently turning to Internet loans to supplement income.

No matter to Chicago Tribune's Stephen Franklin who presents readers of the May 11 Chicago Tribune with the tale of woe of one Rochelle Parker.

Parker, we're informed in Franklin's lead paragraph, only wanted to borrow $300 for Christmas gifts and medicine, so she took out an online loan only to get slammed with 842 percent interest.

Yet in the very next paragraph, we learn this is hardly Ms. Parker's first experience with online loans, and certainly not with abusing credit as a supplement to income:

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