Information and Alerts

Government Actions 1

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Global Tel Link Corporation, et al
The following describes a government action that has been resolved by either a settlement or a decision by a court or administrative agency. If the matter is being appealed, it will be noted below.



On November 14, 2024, Global Tel Link Corp., et al (GTL) entered into a Consent Order with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Consent Order settles allegations that the business violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) by blocking consumers' accounts when a chargeback occurred, emptying and retaining funds from Unified Accounts after a period of inactivity, and failing to disclose fee schedules for money transfers or policies regarding the use of Unified Accounts.  



Specifically, consumers' Trust/Commissary accounts would be blocked from receiving funds from any source if a chargeback was initiated by a credit or debit card issuer until such time as the chargeback, along with a fee, was paid to remove the block.  Unified accounts, used for communications between inmates and their friends or family, were closed after a period of inactivity.  Any remaining funds were withdrawn and retained by GTL without notification.  It is further alleged that the company provided no fee schedules or disclosures regarding the terms of service.



Under the terms of the consent order, GTL is prohibited from continuing the practice of blocking accounts and retaining unclaimed funds from Unified Accounts deemed inactive.  GTL must also clearly and conspicuously provide disclosures regarding terms of service, fees schedules, and alternative ways to provide the transfer of funds to incarcerated persons.  Lastly, GTL is required to pay back at least $2 million to affected consumers and $1 million in civil penalties.  Consumers eligible for compensation will receive notification.  The Consent Order was for settlement purposes only and should not be considered as an admission of guilt or finding of violation of the law. 

Government Actions 2

Federal Trade Commission v. Global Tel Link Corporation, et al

The following describes a government action that has been resolved by either a settlement or a decision by a court or administrative agency. If the matter is being appealed, it will be noted below.

On February 23, 2024, Global Tel Link Corporation, et al (GTL) entered a Consent Order with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Consent Order settles allegations that the business violated the Federal Trade Commission Act when the data of nearly 650,000 customers maintained by GTL was compromised. It was found that the business “failed to implement adequate security safeguards to protect personal information they collect from users”. Additionally, the FTC noted that GTL did not inform their consumers of an August 2020 data breach in a timely manner. 

Under terms of the Consent Order, the business agreed to implement and maintain a proper security program with functional safeguards to better protect their customers’ sensitive information. Additionally, the business will provide one million dollars in identity theft insurance coverage for those impacted by the compromising of their customers' data. 

The company will also test and monitor the efficiency of their security fail safes at least once a year and inform customers of any needed security protocol updates. GTL will also have an initial and biannual assessment by a qualified third party to independently review any security improvements made by the company.  In addition, the business will provide options for affected users for credit monitoring and offer customer assistance to those affected by the data breach. Lastly, the business was ordered to notify consumers and authorities of any future data breaches within 30 days upon discovery of any compromised data. The Consent Order was for settlement purposes only and should not be considered as an admission of guilt or finding of violation of the law.

Accreditation Revocation

On 02/25/2025 this business's accreditation in the BBB was revoked by the BBB's Board of Directors due to failure by the business to adhere to the BBB requirement that Accredited Businesses meet and abide by the following standards:

1C. Be free from government action that demonstrates a significant failure to support BBB ethical principles. BBB evaluates the action and makes a determination on adherence to this standard based on the nature of the violation and the extent of harm it caused or is alleged to have caused, whether it was caused or condoned by management, and actions taken to resolve underlying issues that led to the government action.