Global Tel Link Corp. (GTL) will pay $67 million to resolve claims it unlawfully retained funds from AdvancePay accounts after inactivity. The settlement benefits a nationwide Class of individuals who had a positive balance in a prepaid GTL account that was reduced to a zero balance after up to 180 days of account inactivity between April 3, 2011, and Oct. 6, 2021. Global Tel Link is an inmate telephone service company that operates prison phone systems at around 2,300 facilities throughout the country. According to the company’s website, 1.8 million inmates and their family members use GTL accounts, which are often prepaid, to speak to each other. Unfortunately, Global Tel Link allegedly retained money from prepaid AdvancePay accounts after these accounts were inactive for around 180 days or six months. According to the GTL class action lawsuit, the company should have returned these funds to consumers instead of pocketing the cash for its own benefit. The plaintiff in the case is a practicing criminal defense lawyer who used GTL services to speak to clients and other inmates. After a period of inactivity, the lawyer says his account balance was reduced to zero after a period of inactivity in 2014. According to the GTL class action lawsuit, the plaintiff wasn’t informed that his accounts would be forfeit after 90 days of inactivity. GTL hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to resolve these class action lawsuit allegations with a $67 million settlement. Under the terms of the settlement, GTL will reimburse consumers for 100 percent of any fund the company retained from inactive accounts. Payments will vary depending on how much money Class Members had in their inactive accounts. Both current and former customers are eligible for this relief, though the refund method will vary depending on whether a Class Member has an active account with GTL. The Global Tel Link AdvancePay settlement also includes non-monetary relief that changes GTL’s inactivity policy. The baseline policy will extend from 90 days to 180 days, consumers with active accounts will be able to refund their account balances, and other changes are included in the new policy. The deadline for exclusion and objection is April 15, 2022. The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Aug. 26, 2022. Current GTL customers do not need to file a claim; settlement payments will be automatically credited to their accounts. Former GTL customers must submit a valid claim form by June 14, 2022. The settlement benefits a nationwide Class of individuals who had a positive balance in a prepaid GTL account that was reduced to a zero balance after up to 180 days of account inactivity between April 3, 2011, and Oct. 6, 2021.