Issue and Opponent: In January 2006, the Belgian NGO Netwerk Vlaanderen, which promotes an environmentally and socially responsible approach to money, published a report on a group of 5 Belgian banks (AXA, ING, Fortis, Dexia, and KBC) that have been criticized due to practices such as support for dictatorial regimes, forced relocations of population, and forced labor. According to the report, these banks have invested more than $8 billion (more than €6.6 billion) in fourteen controversial companies and several large-scale infrastructure projects that are involved in the violations of human rights. Netwerk Vlaanderen asked the bank groups to investigate and put an end to their investments in companies that are accused of serious breaches of human rights. Dilemma Action: In October 2006, a mysterious bank suddenly appeared on the Belgian market, called ACE Bank. The bank claimed to be the initiative of a major financial group that didn’t want to reveal its identity. The major Belgian newspapers reported the launch of this newcomer on the market, and the speculations about who was behind this controversial new bank began to rise. The rumor about the new bank reached the Commission of Banks and Insurances (CBFA), which is the commission that controls all the activities of financial institutions in the Belgian market. That same evening, CBFA decided to send out press releases about the illegal activities of ACE bank, warning the world against this obscure new company. Under the mounting pressure, Netwerk Vlaanderen accepted that it was a promotional stunt, as part of a bigger campaign against banks that invest in unethical companies. The bank wanted to specialize in dubious investments in areas such as arms and oil production, as well as child labor. It claimed to be ethical and transparent because, in contrast to other banks, it did not try to hide what it invested in. They coordinated and financed a team of dozens of employees and seven actors who together set up this project. Outcomes: This hoax bank was part of a larger campaign around Europe called “My money. Clear Conscience?” that called on the banks to end their controversial investments and to make public which companies are financed with the money of their clients. The initiators hoped to be able to maintain the activities undisturbed for two weeks, but the CBFA’s complaint interfered with their plans. After a week of speculation, the ACE Bank was closed down by the Belgian bank authorities. As part of the larger campaign, KBC, one of the banks in the report, removed Total Energies from its sustainable funds. In March 2007, Belgium approved a law banning investment in cluster munitions. The various petitions launched during this campaign reached around 4,000 signatures each.