METHOD FOR DETECTING MISUSE OF IDENTITY IN ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS

• US 20160232531A1
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spriv LLC
• Original Assignee: Spriv LLC
• Inventors: Hefetz, Guy, Heffez, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The invention provides methods for determining whether a transaction has taken place in geographic proximity to a wireless device. Upon receiving a notification to authenticate the use of an identity at a transaction location, where the identity is associated with a wireless terminal, the method determines an approximate location of the wireless terminal based on cached position information, GPS location, cellular geo-location, and/or Wi-Fi geolocation, and determines whether one or more of these is in geographic proximity to the location of the transaction.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the use of an identity associated with a user, independently of the ability of the user'"'"'s wireless terminal to pick up GPS signals at the time of a transaction, comprising:

(a) associating a user identity with a wireless terminal;

(b) receiving a notification to authenticate the use of the identity at a first location;

(c) obtaining from the wireless terminal a post-transaction second location of the wireless terminal, where the GPS signals are not strong enough to determine the wireless terminal location and wherein the post-transaction second location is identified via detection of a Wi-Fi unique ID corresponding with a known location;

(d) determining whether the first and second locations match in geographical proximity;

(e) generating an alert if the first and second locations do not match in geographical proximity; and

(f) communicating the alert to a predetermined device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the second location in step (c) is done via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the post-transaction second location on a remote server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the post-transaction second location on the wireless terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi unique ID is a MAC Address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal is inside a building without GPS reception.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user has provided his authorization to release his wireless terminal geographical location.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

(g) if the first and second locations do not match in geographical proximity, obtaining a post-transaction third location of the wireless terminal;

and

(h) comparing the first and third locations.

2. A method of monitoring the use of an identity associated with a user, independently of the ability of the user'"'"'s wireless terminal to pick up GPS signals at the time of a transaction, comprising:

(a) associating the user identity with a wireless terminal;

(b) receiving a notification to authenticate the use of the identity at a first location;

(c) obtaining a pre-transaction second location of the wireless terminal based on cached position information stored on the wireless terminal, if the cached position information is available;

otherwise

(d) obtaining from the wireless terminal a post-transaction second location of the wireless terminal, where the GPS signals are not strong enough to determine the wireless terminal location and wherein the post-transaction location is identified via detection of a Wi-Fi unique ID corresponding with a known location;

(e) determining whether the first location and the second location match in geographical proximity;

(f) generating an alert if the first location and the second location do not match in geographical proximity; and

(g) communicating the alert to a predetermined device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein cached geographical location is not stored on the wireless terminal.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein adding an additional step of reading cached geographical location from the wireless terminal.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of obtaining the second location in step (c) is done via Wi-Fi communication with the wireless terminal.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of storing the post-transaction second location on a remote server.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of storing the post-transaction second location on the wireless terminal.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the Wi-Fi unique ID is a MAC Address.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein, at step (c), if the cached position information is stale, it is not available.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein if the cached position information is stale then obtaining a fresh geographical location from the wireless terminal.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the user has provided his authorization to release his wireless terminal geographical location.

20. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of

(h) if the first and second locations do not match in geographical proximity, obtaining a post-transaction third location of the wireless terminal;

and

(i) comparing the first and third locations.

3. A method of monitoring the use of an identity associated with a user, independently of the ability of the user'"'"'s wireless terminal to pick up GPS signals at the time of a transaction, comprising:

(a) associating a user identity with a wireless terminal;

(b) receiving a notification to authenticate the use of the identity at a first location;

(c) obtaining from the wireless terminal a post-transaction second location of the wireless terminal, where the GPS signals are not strong enough to determine the wireless terminal location and wherein the post-transaction second location is identified via detection of a Wi-Fi unique ID corresponding with a known location;

(d) determining whether the first and second locations match in geographical proximity;

(e) if the first and second locations do not match in geographical proximity, obtaining a post-transaction third location of the wireless terminal; and

(f) generating an alert if the first and third locations do not match in geographical proximity; and

(g) communicating the alert to a predetermined device.