LOCATION BASED FRAUD REDUCTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080156870A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brian Joseph Niedermeyer
• Inventors: Niedermeyer, Brian Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention provide for reduction of the likelihood of fraud 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 whether to service the request, based at least in part on the location from where the request is submitted or processed. 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 conduct a transaction, access data, access a physical or informational resource, or access a secured area.

Claims

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

receiving a request submitted via a submission device to conduct a transaction;

receiving from a position-sensing device a location identifier indicating a location where the request is submitted or information that can lead to identification of the location where the request is submitted; and

determining whether to service the request based at least in part on the received location identifier or information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the submission device is embodied in an apparatus separate from an apparatus housing the position-sensing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the submission device and the position-sensing device are integrated in a single apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the single apparatus is a mobile commerce device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the submission device is a computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the submission device is a credit card.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request submitted via a submission device to conduct a transaction comprises receiving a request submitted via the submission device via infrared communication to an intermediate submission device reader prior to the request being received by the request processor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the position-sensing device is selected by a user from a group of eligible devices prior to submitting the request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein information identifying the selected position-sensing device is received by the request processor in advance of the request processor receiving the submitted request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining by the request processor comprises the request processor accessing a database having one or more permissible locations and/or one or more impermissible locations from where the request may be submitted or where the transaction may be conducted, and comparing the location from where the request is submitted or the location where the transaction is requested to be conducted against the one or more permissible and/or impermissible locations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

receiving a current location of a user of the submission device;

and

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

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

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

receive information identifying a selected position-sensing device to be used by a user;

receive a request from the user to conduct a transaction;

receive an identification of a location or information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is submitted, the identification or information being provided by the selected position-sensing device; and

determine whether to service the request based at least in part on the location from where the request is submitted received from the selected position-sensing device; and

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

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the programming instructions are further designed

to receive a current location of the user;

and

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

13. The system of 12, wherein the position-sensing device is selected by the user from a group of eligible devices prior to submitting the request.

15. A request processing method with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising a request processor:

receiving in advance of one or more transactions identification information of a selected position-sensing device, the selected position-sensing device having been selected by a user from a group of eligible devices to be used for location verification for the one or more transactions;

receiving a request submitted through a submission device to conduct a transaction;

receiving an identification of a location where the request is submitted or information that can lead to identification of the location where the request is submitted; and

determining whether to service the request based at least in part on the received identification or information and an identified location of the position-sensing device.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving by a request processor a request to conduct a transaction, access data, access a physical or informational resource, or access a secured area;

receiving with or in addition to the request a location identifier or information that can lead to identification of a location from where the request is submitted; and

subsequent to the request being serviced, the request processor facilitating a map or satellite view to be viewed by a user, the map or satellite view being of an area including and identifying the location from where the request was submitted and/or where the request was serviced.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the request processor servicing the request based at least in part on the received identification of the location from where the request is submitted.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving a request comprises receiving a request to conduct a transaction, and wherein facilitating a map or satellite view to be viewed by a user comprises the request processor receiving an identification of selection of a particular transaction selected by the user from a transaction history provided to the user and forming a resultant map or satellite view of an area including and identifying the location from where the request was submitted and/or where the request was serviced for the particular selected transaction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transaction history provided to the user is in the form of an online statement accessible by the user.

20. A request processing method with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising a request processor:

receiving a request submitted via a device to conduct a transaction, access data, access a physical or informational resource, or access a secured area;

receiving from the device a location identifier indicating a location where the request is submitted or information that can lead to identification of the location where the request is submitted; and

determining whether to service the request based at least in part on the received location identifier or information.