Merchandise return fraud prevention system and method
First Claim
1. A return fraud prevention system comprising:
- a point of return terminal located at a point of return, said terminal having at least one input device for inputting an identifying information unit presented by a person returning at least one article of merchandise at a return location;
at least one display device located at said point of return, said at least one display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified and textual information;
at least one remote database site having stored therein a database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images for identification purposes, each said stored digital photographic image mapped to at least one identifying information unit;
a communication link linking said point of return terminal and said remote database site to interchange data between the two;
a means for verifying that a clerk present at said point of return terminal has compared any digital photographic images displayed on said point of return terminal display with the physical appearance of the person returning said merchandise and that a match exists between at least one displayed digital photographic image and the physical appearance of said person returning said merchandise; and
a return history database for storing return transaction information, including information identifying a person initiating a return transaction and information identifying a clerk responsible for processing said return transaction, as return transaction records.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for return fraud prevention is provided, which includes a point of return terminal having an input means for accepting, identifying information presented by a person returning at least one article of merchandise and has at least one display unit for displaying digital photographic images of persons and textual information. The system further includes at least one remote database site having stored therein a database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images of persons to be identified. Linking the return terminal and the remote database site is a communications link, which allows data to be interchanged between the point of return terminal and the remote database site. The veracity of the system is ensured by including a means to verifying that the point of return terminal is authorized to access the remote database site, a means for verifying that an identifier present at the return terminal is also authorized to access the remote database site, and a means for verifying that the identifier present at the point of return terminal has compared the digital photographic images displayed on the return terminal display with the physical appearance of the person returning the merchandise and that a match exists between at least one of the displayed photographic images and the physical appearance of the person returning the merchandise.
168 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A return fraud prevention system comprising:
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a point of return terminal located at a point of return, said terminal having at least one input device for inputting an identifying information unit presented by a person returning at least one article of merchandise at a return location; at least one display device located at said point of return, said at least one display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified and textual information; at least one remote database site having stored therein a database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images for identification purposes, each said stored digital photographic image mapped to at least one identifying information unit; a communication link linking said point of return terminal and said remote database site to interchange data between the two; a means for verifying that a clerk present at said point of return terminal has compared any digital photographic images displayed on said point of return terminal display with the physical appearance of the person returning said merchandise and that a match exists between at least one displayed digital photographic image and the physical appearance of said person returning said merchandise; and a return history database for storing return transaction information, including information identifying a person initiating a return transaction and information identifying a clerk responsible for processing said return transaction, as return transaction records. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A return fraud prevention system comprising:
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a point of return terminal located at a point of return, said terminal having at least one input device for inputting an identifying information unit presented by a person returning at least one article of merchandise at a return location; at least one display device located at said point of return, said at least one display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified and return history data; at least one remote database site having stored therein a database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images for identification purposes, each said stored digital photographic image mapped to at least one identifying information unit, said remote database site further having stored therein a return history database in which return history records are stored, each said return history record mapped to at least one said identifying information unit; a communication link linking said point of return terminal and said remote database site to interchange data between the two; a means for verifying that a clerk present at said point of return terminal has compared any digital photographic images displayed on said point of return terminal display with the physical appearance of the person returning said merchandise and that a match exists between at least one displayed digital photographic image and the physical appearance of said person returning said merchandise; and a return history analyzer for analyzing return history records and for calculating return history data, said return history data for display on said at least one display device to assist the clerk at said point of return in identifying when a fraudulent return transaction may be occurring.
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15. A method of preventing the fraudulent return of merchandise comprising:
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storing a plurality of digital photographic images of persons in an identification database located at least one remote database site, each of said digital photographic images corresponding to at least one identifying information unit associated with a person to be identified; accepting an identifying information unit presented by a person returning at least one article of merchandise at a return location and inputting said identifying information unit into a point of return terminal having at least one display device for displaying at least digital photographic image; establishing communication between said point of return terminal and at least one remote database site; transmitting said identifying information unit presented by said person returning at least one article of merchandise to said remote database site; searching said identification database and retrieving any digital photographic images stored therein corresponding to said transmitted identifying information unit; transmitting any retrieved digital photographic images to said point of return terminal over said communications link;
said at least one photographic image to said return terminal;displaying at least one of said retrieved digital photographic images on said at least one display device at said point of return terminal; comparing said at least one displayed photographic image with the physical appearance of the person returning the merchandise; inputting clerk specific data into said return terminal to indicate that a clerk handling the merchandise return transaction has compared the displayed digital photographic images with the physical appearance of the person returning the merchandise and that a match exists; transmitting said clerk specific data and return transaction information to said remote database site; and storing said return transaction information in return history records in a return history database located at said least one remote database site, each said return history record mapped to at least one identifying information unit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification