SPAM NOTIFICATION DEVICE

• US 20150074802A1
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanjeev, Kumar, Steinbach, Lodema M., Snarr, Derrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,633,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A device is configured to receive triggering information including a set of conditions associated with spam. The device is configured to receive a message from a sending device, and to determine that the message is spam based on determining that the message satisfies a threshold quantity of conditions of the set of conditions. The device is configured to provide a notification indicating that the message may be spam, and receive response information, based on the notification, indicating that the sending device is to be blacklisted. The device is configured to cause, based on the response information, a future message from the sending device to be blocked prior to being presented to a user.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive triggering information,

the triggering information including a plurality of conditions,

the plurality of conditions being associated with spam;

receive a message from a sending device;

determine that the message is spam based on determining that the message satisfies a threshold quantity of conditions of the plurality of conditions;

provide a notification indicating that the message may be spam;

receive response information based on the notification,

the response information indicating that the sending device is to be blacklisted; and

cause, based on the response information, a future message from the sending device to be blocked prior to being presented to a user.

2. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of conditions includes an indication that the message is a first message from the sending device directed to the user;

and

where the one or more processors, when determining that the message is spam, are further to;

determine that the message is the first message from the sending device; and

determine that the message is spam based on determining that the message is the first message from the sending device.

3. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of conditions includes an indication that the sending device is not associated with a contact list associated with the user;

and

where the one or more processors, when determining that the message is spam, are further to;

determine that the sending device is not associated with the contact list; and

determine that the message is spam based on determining that the sending device is not associated with the contact list.

4. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of conditions includes an indication that the message includes a call to action;

and

where the one or more processors, when determining that the message is spam, are further to;

determine that the message includes the call to action; and

determine that the message is spam based on determining that the message includes the call to action.

5. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of conditions includes an indication that the message is associated with a telephone number of a particular length;

where the one or more processors, when determining that the message is spam, are further to;

determine that the message is associated with a telephone number of the particular length; and

determine that the message is spam based on determining that the message is associated with a telephone number of the particular length.

6. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when receiving the triggering information, are further to:

determine a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of conditions, the plurality of weights including a first weight and a second weight,

the first weight being different from the second weight; and

where the one or more processors, when determining that the message is spam, are further to;

determine a score associated with the message based on the first weight and the second weight; and

determine that the message is spam based on the score.

7. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining that the message is spam, are further to:

identify a plurality of approved sending devices; and

determine that the message is not associated with an approved sending device of the plurality of approved sending devices.

8. A computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a plurality of conditions,

the plurality of conditions being associated with spam;

receive a message from a sending device;

determine that the message is spam based on determining that the message satisfies the plurality of conditions;

provide a notification indicating that the message may be spam;

receive response information based on the notification,

the response information indicating that the sending device is to be blacklisted; and

cause, based on the response information, a future message from the sending device to be blocked prior to being presented to a user.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the message includes a uniform resource locator,

the uniform resource locator being associated with a website;

and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine that the message is spam, further cause the one or more processors to;

prevent a preview of the website from being displayed based on determining that the message is spam.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to provide the notification, further cause the one or more processors to:

present the notification for display on a user interface associated with a user device; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the response information, further cause the one or more instructions to;

receive the response information via the user interface.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to cause the future message from the sending device to be blocked, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide information, identifying the sending device, to a messaging center device to cause the messaging center device to block the future message from the sending device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to cause the future message from the sending device to be blocked, further cause the one or more processors to:

block the future message without sending the future message to a user device associated with the user.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the notification includes a plurality of options,

the plurality of options including at least one of:

an option to report the message as spam;

an option to blacklist the sending device;

an option to blacklist the sending device for a period of time;

an option to ignore the notification;

or

an option to designate the sending device as an approved sending device; and

where the response information includes a selection of one of the plurality of options.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the response information, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a confirmation that the message is spam; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to cause the future message to be blocked, further cause the one or more processors to;

cause the future messaged to be blocked based on the confirmation.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, triggering information,

the triggering information including a plurality of conditions,

the plurality of conditions being associated with spam;

receiving, by the device, a message from a sending device,

the message including at least one of;

a short message service text message, or

a multimedia message service message;

determining, by the device, that the message is spam based on the plurality of conditions;

determining, by the device, that the sending device is to be blacklisted; and

causing, by the device and based on determining that the sending device is to be blacklisted, a future message from the sending device to be blocked prior to being presented to a user.

16. The method of claim 15, where determining that the message is spam further comprises:

determining a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of conditions;

determining a score, associated with the message, based on the plurality of weights; and

determining that the message is spam based on determining that the score is greater than a threshold score.

17. The method of claim 15, where determining that the sending device is to be blacklisted further comprises:

determining that the sending device is to be blacklisted for a particular length of time; and

where causing the future message from the sending device to be blocked further comprises;

determining whether the particular length of time has expired; and

blocking the future message when the particular length of time has not expired.

18. The method of claim 17, where determining that the message is spam further comprises:

determining a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of conditions;

determining a score, associated with the message, based on the plurality of weights; and

where determining that the sending device is to be blacklisted for the particular length of time further comprises;

determining the particular length of time based on the score.

19. The method of claim 15, where the plurality of conditions includes an indication that the message is not associated with a short code;

and

where determining that the message is spam further comprises;

determining that the message is not associated with the short code; and

determining that the message is spam based on determining that the message is not associated with the short code.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the device, a plurality of user devices associated with the message; and

causing, by the device, the plurality of user devices to delete the message.