VERIFYING SOURCE OF EMAIL

• US 20130333030A1
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: FARRIS, Jack M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12

Abstract

A system is configured to generate an email with a main hyperlink and a verification hyperlink; transmit the email to an email account of a user; receive an indication of a selection of the verification hyperlink; and transmit a confirmation message to a recipient device of the user when the verification hyperlink is selected.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a server system, an email with a main hyperlink and a verification hyperlink;

transmitting, by the server system, the email to an email account of a user;

receiving, by the server system, an indication of a selection of the verification hyperlink; and

transmitting, by the server system and based on the selection of the verification hyperlink, a confirmation message to a device of the user.

2. The method of claim 1,

where the device is one of a mobile telephone device, a landline telephone device, or a set-top box (STB), and

where the confirmation message is one of a text message, a voice response unit (VRU) message, or data for the STB.

3. The method of claim 1, where the confirmation message comprises a confirmation word selected by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, where transmitting the confirmation message comprises:

determining whether the verification hyperlink is valid; and

transmitting the confirmation message when the verification hyperlink is valid.

5. The method of claim 4, where, when the when the verification hyperlink is not valid, the method further comprises:

generating a new email with the main hyperlink and a new verification hyperlink;

transmitting the new email to the email account of the user.

6. The method of claim 4, where determining whether the verification hyperlink is valid comprises:

determining a quantity of times that the verification hyperlink was previously selected; and

determining whether the quantity of times is greater than a particular threshold, where the verification hyperlink is not valid when the quantity of times is greater than the particular threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, where transmitting the confirmation message comprises:

receiving device information associated with a computer device used for the selection of the verification hyperlink, where the computer device is one of the device or a different device;

determining, based on the device information, whether the computer device is registered to prompt the transmission of the confirmation message; and

transmitting the confirmation message only when the device is registered.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one of the device to receive the confirmation message, a type of the confirmation message, or contents for the confirmation message.

9. A system comprising:

a memory to store information associated with a recipient device of a user;

a processor to;

transmit an email to an email account of the user, where the email comprises;

a first hyperlink to a target webpage of a website of a particular entity, and

a second hyperlink to prompt verification that the email is from the particular entity,

receive an indication of a selection of the second hyperlink,

identify the information associated with the recipient device, where the recipient device is specified to receive a confirmation message when the second hyperlink is selected,

generate, based on the information associated with the recipient device, the confirmation message, and

transmit the confirmation message to the recipient device.

10. The system of claim 9, where the information associated with the recipient device comprises one or more of:

a type of the recipient device, or

contact information associated with the recipient device.

11. The system of claim 10, where the contact information comprises:

a mobile telephone number (MTN),

a billing telephone number (BTN),

a working telephone number (WTN),

an address associated with the recipient device, or

account information associated with the recipient device.

12. The system of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

transmit options for receiving the confirmation message,

receive a selection of one of the options, where the selection of one of the options indicates a type of the confirmation message,

transmit a request for the information associated with the recipient device, and

receive the information associated with the recipient device.

13. The system of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

transmit options for content to include in the confirmation message;

receive a selection of one of the options and content associated with the selection of one of the options,

where the content comprises at least one of a word, audio content, or video content, and

where, when generating the confirmation message, the processor is further to;

include the content in the confirmation message.

14. The system of claim 9, where, after transmitting the confirmation message, the processor is further to:

receive an indication of a selection of the first hyperlink, and

provide, in response to the selection of the first hyperlink, the target webpage.

15. The system of claim 9, where, when transmitting the confirmation message, the processor is further to:

receive device information associated with a computer device used for the selection of the second hyperlink, where the computer device is one of the recipient device or a different device,

determine whether the computer device is registered to prompt the transmission of the confirmation message, and

transmit the confirmation message only when the computer device is registered.

16. The system of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

receive a request for the email, where the request comprises the first hyperlink and an email address associated with the email account, and

generate the email in response to the request.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors of a system to perform a method, the method comprising:

generating an email with a code,

transmitting the email to an email account associated with a user,

receiving, via a website, an entry of the code by the user,

identifying a target webpage of the website or a different website associated with the code, and

providing the target webpage.

18. The media of claim 17, where the email further comprises instructions for using the code to access the target webpage.

19. The media of claim 17, where the method further comprises:

receiving, before receiving the entry of the code, user information from the user;

authenticating the user based on the user information; and

providing a webpage of the website used to receive the entry of the code.

20. The media of claim 19, where, when providing the target webpage, the method further comprises:

receiving device information associated with a computer device used to enter the code,

determine whether the computer device is registered to prompt the providing of the target webpage after the entry of the code, and

providing the target webpage only when the computer device is registered.

21. A method comprising:

generating, by a server system, a first email with a main hyperlink and a verification reply address;

transmitting, by the server system, the first email to an email account of a user;

receiving, by the server system, a reply email sent to the verification reply address, the reply email including at least a portion of the first email;

transmitting, by the server system and based on the receipt of the reply email, a confirmation message to a device of the user.

22. The method of claim 21,

where the device is one of a mobile telephone device, a landline telephone device, or a set-top box (STB), and

where the confirmation message is one of a text message, a voice response unit (VRU) message, or data for the STB.

23. The method of claim 21, where the confirmation message comprises a confirmation word selected by the user.

24. The method of claim 21, where transmitting the confirmation message comprises:

determining whether the reply email is valid; and

transmitting the confirmation message when the reply email is valid.

25. The method of claim 24, where, when the when the email reply is not valid, the method further comprises:

generating a new first email with the main hyperlink;

transmitting the new first email to the email account of the user.

26. The method of claim 24, where determining whether the verification hyperlink is valid comprises:

determining a quantity of times that the reply email was previously sent; and

determining whether the quantity of times is greater than a particular threshold, where the reply email is not valid when the quantity of times is greater than the particular threshold.

27. The method of claim 21, where transmitting the confirmation message comprises:

receiving device information associated with a computer device used for the sending of the reply email, where the computer device is one of the device or a different device;

determining, based on the device information, whether the computer device is registered to prompt the transmission of the confirmation message; and

transmitting the confirmation message only when the device is registered.