Consumer complaint received 2026-04-22 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Global Tel*Link Corporation
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
I have been using ConnectNetwork ( CN ), a service designed for friends and family of prison inmates that allows them to communicate and send moneyto their loved ones in correctional facilities. In XXXX, 2026 I signed up with CN ( XXXX ) to communicate with an inmate at the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, NV. The inmate 's name is XXXX XXXX, registration XXXX. During XXXX and up to XX/XX/XXXX, I have sent money to XXXX so she can buy food items at the commissary, make phone calls and write messages. On the web at XXXX ( www.trustpilot.com/review/connectnetwork.com ) and Complaints XXXX ( XXXX ), the customer satisfaction with this service is abysmal. Average consumer ratings range from XXXX out of 5, with 1 being the lowest level of satisfaction and 5 the highest. The CN customer service staff is nothelpful whenever there is problem transferring money, claiming it's the " prison 's fault '' or there's a " glitch '' in my debit/credit cards. On XXXX XXXX, 2026, I sent {$250.00} to XXXX ( with CN fees added on, the amount withdrawn from my XXXX checking account was {$250.00} ). XXXX days later, on XX/XX/XXXX, the money still had not been transferred to XXXX. CN customer service resorted to their usual fallback arguments of blaming the prison or a problem with my debit/credit cards. Both assertions were untrue. Since CN could not explain why XXXX did not receive my money, I filed a dispute claim with the XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). The day after my complaint was filed with the bank, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX received the money that I tried to send six-days earlier. I withdrew my dispute claim with XXXX soon thereafter. In a XXXX letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, the following was stated : " The provisional credit that was previously applied to your account will be adjusted. An amount of {$250.00} will be reversed on XXXX/2026. You will have full use of the funds until the reversal. This notice serves as final resolution of your dispute ... '' According to XXXX, CN received notice that my dispute claim had been withdrawn in late XXXX. From the time of my filing of a dispute claim with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I have been unable to transfer any money to XXXX via CN. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I called CN and learned for the first time that my account had been blocked. When I inquired why the XXXX XXXX Department had taken this action, a CN supervisor claimed I owed CN {$250.00}. This supervisor seriously maintained that in dispute claims CN sent " XXXX {$250.00} ''. According to my calls with the XXXX XXXX of XXXX, this was a false statement. XXXX NEVER received any money from CN. The XXXX XXXX sent me XXXX forms, asserting that until CN receives these completed forms and a {$250.00} money order, my account " will remain blocked. '' I asked the CN supervisor this question : " If I owe CN {$250.00}, and I do not, why did the inmate receive this money on XX/XX/XXXX? You never send money to an inmate unless it is deposited into the CN account. '' She was unable to answer this question intelligently. CN is owned by Global Tel Link ( GTL ). It is worth noting that CFPB issued a consent order GTL on XXXX XXXX 2024, for illegally freezing accounts, draining inactive accounts of incarcerated individuals, and for a lack of transparency with consumers. The consent decree ordered XXXX to pay {$3.00} XXXX in penalties and restitution. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission issued a consent decree against XXXX on XXXX XXXX, 2024. This decree mandated significant changes in XXXX 's data security practices following a serious data breach.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation