Systems and methods for validation of phone numbers

• US 20030216989A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Geiler, Steven, Mollett, Cassandra
• Application Number:
  US10/435,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216989A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for determining whether a telephone number offered by a customer in conjunction with a proposed financial transaction is valid or non-valid in order to better evaluate the risk of participating in the transaction. In one embodiment, a telephone number validation system directs a point-of-sale device to accept a telephone number from a customer who is offering a promissory payment and to dial the telephone number in order to confirm that the telephone number is a working number prior to accepting the promissory payment. In one embodiment, a suitably configured device may dial a telephone number and may determine whether the telephone number is valid or non-valid based on a perceived tone that is emitted in response to the call.

Claims

1. A computer storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that determine whether a telephone number provided in association with a financial transaction is a valid number or a non-valid number, and that evaluate, based at least in part on the determination, the risk of the financial transaction, the computer storage medium comprising:

a computer encoded instruction for receiving input indicative of a telephone number for an entity participating in a financial transaction;

a computer encoded instruction for dialing the telephone number;

a computer encoded instruction for perceiving a tone emitted when the number is dialed;

a computer encoded instruction for determining whether the emitted tone indicates that the telephone number is a valid number or a non-valid number; and

a computer encoded instruction for evaluating risk associated with the financial transaction, based at least in part on the determination.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer encoded instruction for receiving input further comprises a computer-encoded instruction for receiving the information as manual input.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer encoded instruction for receiving input further comprises a computer-encoded instruction for receiving the input as spoken input.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer encoded instruction for receiving input further comprises a computer encoded instruction for receiving input that is extracted from a scanned image of a check.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer encoded instruction for receiving input further comprises a computer-encoded instruction for receiving the input as magnetically encoded information.

6. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer encoded instruction for evaluating risk comprises a computer-encoded instruction for evaluating the risk as being lower if the telephone number is valid.

7. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer encoded instruction for evaluating risk comprises a computer-encoded instruction for evaluating the risk as being higher if the telephone number is non-valid.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer processor configured to use a telephone connection to dial a telephone number and to perceive a tone emitted in response to dialing the telephone number, wherein the computer processor is further configured to determine if the emitted tone indicates that the telephone number is a valid number and to use the determination to evaluate the risk of a financial transaction; and

an input device configured to transmit a telephone number received from an entity who is participating in the financial transaction to the computer processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising computer memory accessible by the computer processor, wherein the computer memory is configured to store a retrievable record of the determination.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the retrievable record is configured to store at least one of:

the telephone number, the determination, and the date of the determination.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer processor is further configured to store a record of the determination when the determination indicates that the telephone number is valid.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer processor is further configured to store a record of the determination when the determination indicates that the telephone number is non-valid.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer processor is further configured to store a record of the determination when the telephone number is a long distance number.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer processor is further configured to access the retrievable record and to use the records stored therein for subsequent determinations.

15. A computer-implemented method for evaluating the risk of a financial transaction by using a device to determine if a telephone number provided in association with the financial transaction is a valid number or is a non-valid number, the method comprising:

receiving input indicative of a telephone number associated with a financial transaction;

dialing the telephone number;

perceiving a tone emitted when the telephone number is dialed;

determining, based at least in part on the perceived tone, whether the tone indicates that the telephone number is a valid number or a non-valid number; and

evaluating with a computer processor the risk of the transaction, based at least in part on the determination.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising displaying an indication of the determination to a clerk associated with the financial transaction.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising displaying an indication of the evaluation to a clerk associated with the financial transaction.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising advising the clerk not to accept the transaction if the risk is evaluated as being high.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising advising the clerk to accept the transaction if the risk is evaluated as being low.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the telephone number to a clerk associated with the transaction for verification if the telephone number is determined to be non-valid.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising allowing a clerk associated with the transaction to re-enter input indicative of the telephone number if the number is determined to be non-valid.

22. A system for evaluating risk associated with a financial transaction, based at least in part on a determination of whether a telephone number provided in association with the financial transaction is a valid number or is a non-valid number, the system comprising:

means for receiving input indicative of a telephone number associated with a financial transaction;

means for dialing the telephone number;

means for perceiving a tone emitted when the telephone number is dialed;

means for determining, based at least in part on the perceived tone, whether the tone indicates that the telephone number is a valid number or a non-valid number; and

means for evaluating risk associated with the financial transaction, based at least in part on the determination.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for evaluating risk associated with the financial transaction further comprise means for evaluating the risk of accepting a promissory payment in association with the transaction.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for displaying to a clerk associated with the financial transaction an indication of the risk evaluation.

25. A software module for a point-of-sale device, wherein the software module gives the device the capability to:

receive input indicative of a telephone number for an entity participating in a financial transaction;

determine whether the telephone number is a valid number or a non-valid number; and

make the results of the determination available to an operator assisting with the financial transaction.