Consumer complaint received 2025-11-17 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other service problem — 
Company: MONEYGRAM PAYMENT SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE INC
State: OK

Complaint narrative:
I tried to sign up for MoneyGram to send money to a friend in XXXX. The website indicated that I needed to upload my ID for verification, so I sent my Retired Military ID Card, my Oklahoma REAL ID Driver License, and my passport. ( Incidentally, I have had an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for over 20 years. ) They responded two days later with the following : -- -- -- Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting MoneyGram. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. 

We have completed our investigation regarding your inquiry. While we strive to provide the highest level of service, we regret any inconvenience you may have experienced. 

Please note that MoneyGram operates under a broad range of global laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, data protection, and compliance. As part of our regulatory obligations, we conduct periodic reviews of customer activity. 

Following a thorough review, we regret to inform you that your profile has been restricted from using MoneyGram services. This decision was made in accordance with our compliance policies and procedures. 

To protect our customers and meet regulatory requirements, MoneyGram may place restrictions on transactions or profiles when certain activity is identified. If we are not comfortable with the purpose or nature of a transaction, the service may be declined. 

Due to security and compliance reasons, we are unable to open your profile or provide specific details regarding our verification process. We understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We recommend using an alternative service provider for your future money transfer needs. 
-- -- -- -- They have refused to engage further or tell me why they are restricting someone with a long history of military service and trusted status at the highest levels. 

There are four reasons I feel this violates Federal consumer protections and non-discrimination laws : A. Blanket refusal with no explanation Regulations expect at least a category of explanation ( e.g., identity mismatch, unsupported recipient type, restrictions based on facility rules ). MoneyGram gave me none. 

B. Potential discriminatory impact If the triggering factor was that the recipient is XXXX, MoneyGram must ensure it is applying such restrictions consistently and publicly. Many companies partner with XXXX  systems ; many do not. But they must not treat sending to an inmate as automatically suspicious without explanation. 

C. Denial of right to correct identifying information If their system flagged your ID information incorrectly, I have no way to fix it. 

D. No appeal process They shut down my profile without a stated path to resolution. 

I request that you intervene so that I am able to transfer money to my childhood friend in XXXX XXXX. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX )

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation