SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING POSTAGE FRAUD USING AN INDEXED LOOKUP PROCEDURE

• US 20110015935A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PSI Systems Incorporated (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PSI Systems Incorporated (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Montgomery, Scott, Whitehouse, Harry T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,783,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2250/50 with specific mail handling means
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00612 Attaching item on mailpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0062 Label

Abstract

A method and system for using an indexing identifier (such as, e.g., a tracking identifier or the combination of a postage vendor ID, user account, and piece count) to decrease the size of the postage indicium transmitted to an end user computer, or eliminate transmission of the postage indicium altogether, is provided. When the postage indicium for the end user computer is generated, it is stored, and the indexing identifier, rather than the postage indicium, is transmitted to the end user computer. The indexing identifier is applied to a mail piece, which is then scanned by the postal authority. The postal authority can obtain the stored postage indicium by reference to the indexing identifier. In this manner, the postal authority has access to the postage indicium without having to apply it to the mail piece. The indexing identifiers can optionally be used to index sender identification information for verifying that the sender of a mail piece is a trusted individual or entity.

Claims

1. A method for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, comprising:

generating, at a postage-issuing computer system, a unique postage indicium that contains a unique tracking number allocated to a postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides a mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS);

indexing the postage transaction with the unique tracking number contained in the unique postage indicium and allocated to the postage transaction;

receiving, at the postage-issuing computer system, a request to validate a printed postage indicium carried on a mail piece received at the USPS, wherein the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece contains the unique tracking number allocated to the indexed postage transaction; and

validating the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has not been used on any mail pieces previously handled by the USPS.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deriving a digital signature from the unique postage indicium, wherein the indexed postage transaction includes information representing the digital signature derived from the unique postage indicium; and

validating the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece in response to further determining that the digital signature derived from the unique postage indicium matches a digital signature derived from the printed postage indicium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the postage-issuing computer system receives the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction from the USPS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the postage-issuing computer system allocates the unique tracking number to the postage transaction from a pool of unassigned tracking numbers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the postage-issuing computer system periodically downloads the pool of unassigned tracking numbers from the USPS.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the unique postage indicium and the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction to an end user computer, wherein the postage-issuing computer system transmits the unique postage indicium and the unique tracking number in a format that enables the end user computer to print a one-dimensional bar code representing the unique tracking number and a two-dimensional bar code representing the unique postage indicium.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mail piece received at the USPS carries one or more of the one-dimensional bar code representing the unique tracking number or the two-dimensional bar code representing the unique postage indicium.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alert indicating that the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece may potentially be fraudulent in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has been used on one or more mail pieces previously handled by the USPS.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a record to a transaction database in response to validating the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece, wherein the record added to the transaction database indicates that the unique tracking number contained in the validated printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has been used on the mail piece carrying the validated printed postage indicium; and

generating a potential fraud alert in response to determining that the USPS has received a subsequent mail piece carrying one or more of the validated printed postage indicium or the unique tracking number contained in the validated printed postage indicium.

10. A postage-issuing computer system for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, wherein the postage-issuing computer system comprises one or more processors configured to:

generate a unique postage indicium that contains a unique tracking number allocated to a postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides the mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS);

index the postage transaction with the unique tracking number contained in the unique postage indicium and allocated to the postage transaction;

receive a request to validate a printed postage indicium carried on a mail piece received at the USPS, wherein the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece contains the unique tracking number allocated to the indexed postage transaction; and

validate the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has not been used on any mail pieces previously handled by the USPS.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

derive a digital signature from the unique postage indicium, wherein the indexed postage transaction includes information representing the digital signature derived from the unique postage indicium; and

validate the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece in response to further determining that the digital signature derived from the unique postage indicium matches a digital signature derived from the printed postage indicium.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the postage-issuing computer system receives the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction from the USPS.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the postage-issuing computer system allocates the unique tracking number to the postage transaction from a pool of unassigned tracking numbers.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the postage-issuing computer system periodically downloads the pool of unassigned tracking numbers from the USPS.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit the unique postage indicium and the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction to an end user computer, wherein the one or more processors transmit the unique postage indicium and the unique tracking number in a format that enables the end user computer to print a one-dimensional bar code representing the unique tracking number and a two-dimensional bar code representing the unique postage indicium.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the mail piece received at the USPS carries one or more of the one-dimensional bar code representing the unique tracking number or the two-dimensional bar code representing the unique postage indicium.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece may potentially be fraudulent in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has been used on one or more mail pieces previously handled by the USPS.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

add a record to a transaction database in response to validating the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece, wherein the record added to the transaction database indicates that the unique tracking number contained in the validated printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has been used on the mail piece carrying the validated printed postage indicium; and

generate a potential fraud alert in response to determining that the USPS has received a subsequent mail piece carrying one or more of the validated printed postage indicium or the unique tracking number contained in the validated printed postage indicium.

19. A method for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, comprising:

generating, at a postage-issuing computer system, a unique postage indicium that contains a unique tracking number allocated to a postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides a mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS);

indexing the postage transaction with the unique tracking number contained in the unique postage indicium and allocated to the postage transaction;

receiving, at the postage-issuing computer system, a request to validate a printed postage indicium carried on a mail piece received at the USPS, wherein the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece contains the unique tracking number allocated to the indexed postage transaction; and

processing the request to validate the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece, wherein processing the request to validate the printed postage indicium includes;

validating the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has not been used on any mail pieces previously handled by the USPS; and

generating an alert indicating that the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece may potentially be fraudulent in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has been used on one or more mail pieces previously handled by the USPS.

20. A postage-issuing computer system for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, wherein the postage-issuing computer system comprises one or more processors configured to:

generate a unique postage indicium that contains a unique tracking number allocated to a postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides a mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS);

index the postage transaction with the unique tracking number contained in the unique postage indicium and allocated to the postage transaction;

receive a request to validate a printed postage indicium carried on a mail piece received at the USPS, wherein the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece contains the unique tracking number allocated to the indexed postage transaction; and

process the request to validate the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece, wherein to process the request to validate the printed postage indicium, the one or more processors are further configured to;

validate the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has not been used on any mail pieces previously handled by the USPS; and

generate an alert indicating that the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece may potentially be fraudulent in response to determining that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium and allocated to the indexed postage transaction has been used on one or more mail pieces previously handled by the USPS.