Location based fraud reduction system and method

• US 20030169881A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brian J. Niedermeyer
• Inventors: Niedermeyer, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/258
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder

Abstract

Likelihood of fraud is reduced by having at least one of an identifier of a location from where a request is submitted or information that can lead to identification of the location, submitted with or in addition to a request. Then, determination is made to whether to service the request, based at least in part on the location from where the request is submitted. In various embodiments, the location may be compared against predetermined permissible location(s) or a current user location. The request may be a request to charge an amount against an account, such as a credit card account, a request to access a physical resource, such as a VPN, or an informational resource, such as account information, or a request to access a secured area.

Claims

1. A request processing method with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising:

a requestor submitting a request to a request processor, with at least a selected one of (a) a location identifier identifying a location from where the request is being submitted, and (b) information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is being submitted, being submitted with or in addition to the request; and

the request processor determining whether to service the request, based at least in part on the received identification of the location from where the request is initiated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a selected one of

a) a request to charge an amount against an account;

b) a request to access and use a selected one of a physical resource and an informational resource; and

c) a request to access a secured area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said requestor submitting a request comprises a selected one of

a) a merchant submitting the request from a merchant device;

and

b) a user submitting the request from a user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining by the request processor comprises the request processor accessing a database having one or more permissible locations from where said request may be submitted, and comparing the location from where the request is submitted against the permissible location(s) from where said request may be submitted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the method further comprises a user independently submitting a current location of the user;

and

said determining by the request processor comprises the request processor comparing the location from where the request is submitted with the current location of the user.

6. In a request processing system, a method of operation with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising:

receiving a request;

receiving a selected one of an identification of a location from where the request is initiated and information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is initiated; and

determining whether to service the request based at least in part on the location from where the request is initiated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said request is a request to charge an amount against an account.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said request is a request to access and use a selected one of a physical and an information resource.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said request is a request to access a secured area.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifier of the location from where the request is initiated, is provided by a merchant.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifier of the location from where the request is initiated, is provided from a user device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining comprises accessing a database having one or more permissible locations from where said request may be submitted, and comparing the received location against the permissible location(s) from where said request may be submitted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises receiving and storing a permissible location in said database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said receiving of a permissible location comprises receiving a current location of a user from a portable user location device.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein

the method further comprises receiving a current location of a user;

and

said determining comprises comparing the location from where the request is initiated with the current location of the user.

16. A request processing system with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising

storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to

receive a request,

receive a selected one of an identification of a location from where the request is initiated and information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is initiated, and

determine whether to service the request based at least in part on the location from where the request is initiated;

and

a processor couple to the storage medium to execute the plurality of programming instructions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said request is a selected one of (a) a request to charge an amount against an account, (b) a request to access and use a selected one of a physical and an information resource, and (c) a request to access a secured area.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the identifier of the location from where the request is initiated, is provided by a selected one of a merchant device and a user device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to perform said determining by accessing a database having one or more permissible locations from where said request may be submitted, and comparing the received location against the permissible location(s) from where said request may be submitted.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to receive and store a permissible location in said database.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the programming instructions are designed to perform said receiving of a permissible location by receiving a current location of a user from a portable user location device.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the programming instructions are further designed

to receive a current location of a user, and

to perform said determining by comparing the location from where the request is initiated with the current location of the user.

23. A payment device reader comprising

means for reading a payment device;

means for sensing a current location of the payment device reader; and

means for sending information read of said payment device, and said current location sensed to a payment processing system.

24. The payment device reader of claim 23, wherein the payment device comprises a selected one of a credit card and a debit card.

25. The payment device reader of claim 23, wherein said means for sensing a current location of the payment device reader comprises a geographic positioning sensor.