Country to domestic call intercept process (CIP)

• US 6,396,915 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Springer, Arthur L., Marchand, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/464,789
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112,133,134,144,145,203,201,222,223
• US Class Current: 379/145
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/12 using calling, telephone credit/debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means

Abstract

A call intercept process (CIP) for calling card calls originating from an international country and terminating to high fraud domestic USA, and Canada locations. When a call is placed via a calling card and terminates to a high fraud domestic location, the call is optionally screened against a database which keys on international originating country access numbers. Whether this screening implemented, the call is routed to a first level operator in order to verify the billing account information of the caller as an authorized user. This verification is based on customer and business name, address, zip code, and phone number. If the caller passes verification, a CIP process automatically overrides the calling card from any future Intercepts. If caller fails account verification, the a CIP process automatically places the card in a ‘LOCKED STATUS MODE’ which mode indicates that any additional calls based on that card be intercepted regardless of termination. At any time the caller passes verification, the card is lifted and placed in an override process via the CIP process. Pass and failed alerts are generated and passed to a fraud system, in real time, to allow for notification of outcome to all fraud analysts. An additional process enables call intercept failures at a first level operator to fail to a second level operator which allows for further verification and research on customer identity and account to take place.

Claims

1. A system for detecting fraudulent calling card calls placed from an originating international location to a domestic termination, said system comprising:

switch device for receiving a calling card call placed from an originating international location and capable of routing said call to a desired domestic termination;

a device for automatically comparing a country code associated with said originating location and the desired domestic termination number against a database comprising combinations of country codes and termination numbers predefined as being high fraud risk;

a device for routing the calling card call to a first level operator if a match against said database is found, said first level operator for verifying billing account information corresponding to said calling card; and

,

a device for terminating said calling card call when said billing information is not verified, wherein subsequent calling card call attempts from originating international locations will result in default routing of said call to a first level operator for billing account information verification corresponding to said calling card, said calling card call being enabled for processing upon successful verification of billing account information, and terminated otherwise.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further including means for limiting a number of subsequent calling card call attempts from originating international locations to domestic locations upon failure of verification of billing account information, said system further including device for routing said calling card call to a second level operator for verifying identity of the caller after a pre-determined number of calling card call attempts.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for terminating said calling card call when said billing information is not verified includes placing said calling card in a locked intercept mode.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second level operator performs one of:

terminating said calling card call when said caller identity is not verified, and processing said calling card call upon successful verification of caller identity.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein enablement of said calling card call for processing includes removing said calling card from said locked intercept mode.

6. A method for detecting fraudulent calling card calls placed from an originating international location to a domestic termination, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a calling card call placed from an originating international location at a switch capable of routing a call to a desired domestic termination;

b) routing the calling card call to a first level operator for verifying billing account information corresponding to said calling card, said first level operator performing one of;

processing said calling card call upon successful verification of billing account information, and terminating said call otherwise; and

,

c) upon receipt of subsequent calling card call attempts from originating international locations, default routing of said calls to a first level operator for verifying billing account information corresponding to said calling card, said first level operator performing one of;

processing said calling card call upon successful verification of billing account information, and terminating said call otherwise.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein prior to said routing step b), the step of automatically comparing a country code associated with said originating location and the desired domestic termination number against a database comprising combinations of country codes and termination numbers predefined as being high fraud risk, said calling card call being routed to said first level operator if a match against said database is found.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein step c) further includes the steps of:

limiting a number of subsequent calling card call attempts from originating international locations to domestic locations upon failure of verification of billing account information; and

,

routing said calling card call to a second level operator for verifying identity of the caller after a pre-determined number of calling card call attempts.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said step of terminating said calling card call when said billing information is not verified includes placing said calling card in a locked intercept mode.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said step of processing said calling card call upon successful verification of billing account information includes removing said calling card from said locked intercept mode.

11. A hierarchical method for detecting fraudulent calling card calls placed from an originating international location to a domestic termination, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a calling card call placed from an originating international location to an switch for routing a call to a desired domestic termination;

b) providing first level of calling card fraud detection by automatically comparing a country code associated with said originating location and the desired domestic termination number against a database comprising combinations of country codes and termination numbers predefined as being high fraud risk;

c) providing second level of calling card fraud detection by routing the calling card call to a first level operator if a match against said database is found and processing said call otherwise, said first level operator for verifying billing account information corresponding to said calling card and performing one of;

terminating said calling card call when said billing information is not verified, and processing said calling card call upon successful verification of billing account information; and

,

d) upon each of a predefined number of subsequent attempts of calling card number calls placed from international originations, automatically routing said calls to a first level operator for verifying billing account information corresponding to said calling card, and processing said calling card call upon successful verification of billing account information, and terminating said call otherwise; and

,

e) after a predefined number of subsequent attempts have been made, routing said calling card call to a second level operator for verifying identity of the caller, said second level operator performing one of;

terminating said calling card call when said caller identity is not verified, and processing said calling card call upon successful verification of caller identity.