Uncle Pennybags Mocks Equifax CEO

Equifax, the consumer credit reporting agency, is in hot water on Capitol Hill after a data breach put 145 million Americans sensitive data at risk. We don’t think we’ve ever heard of someone enjoying their interaction with any one of the credit reporting agencies, but this takes the cake. We have Monopoly frontman Uncle Pennybags to thank for this gem.Upon first learning of the data breach, Equifax offered a credit monitoring service to the affected members that mandated instead of taking Equifax to court for the damages, users were instead to settle for arbitration. We’re not quite sure how stupid Equifax thinks we are, but when your company touts the line that they ought to not be as liable as they would hold the individual in similar circumstances, your entire business practice is deemed suspect in the eyes of the consumer. Enter Uncle Pennybags of Monopoly fame seems to agree. The monopoly icon was seen sitting in on the hearings, smugly gesturing with the trademark monocle as Richard Smith (Chairman and CEO of Equifax) testified to the atrocious behavior of Equifax. When all you can do is be a smug jerk to the people that rip you off and you can’t even do that because you’re not in Washington D.C., it’s good to know that protesters like Amanda Werner, who has also dressed up as Uncle Pennybags during the Wells Fargo scandal, have the American people’s back.

Amanda is part of an organization called Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen. This activist group is pushing back against bank lobbyists and whatever allies they have in congress that are shooting for the dismissal of a rule put in place by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would curtail the use of arbitration clauses. Werner stated that “Arbitration is a rigged game, bank lobbyists and their allies in Congress are trying to overturn the CFPB’s rule so they can continue to rip off consumers with impunity.” We know all of this financial stuff is dry and not always the most enjoyable subject to follow, but know that you can sleep peacefully in your bed at night while smug jerks petition on our behalf dressed up as the Monopoly man. Will it help? No. Will it make Equifax be accountable? No. Is it ridiculously funny to see a fictional character sit in on a serious hearing, ultimately showcasing how stupid the Equifax scenario is? Actually, yes. Let’s face it: Consumers may not always get the outright justice they deserve immediately, but rest assured, some will mercilessly mock those that think they can get away with stealing from you and ripping you off without consequences. While the courts do their thing, it seems like all we can do is cast a little shade on the shadiest people who’ve ripped us off along the way. Thanks Uncle Pennybags.