Location based fraud reduction system and method

• US 7,376,431 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brian J. Niedermeyer
• Inventors: Niedermeyer, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US10/355,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/406, 455/410, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/456.3, 379/88.17, 379/265.09, 379/900, 379/907, 379/145, 379/114.14, 379/189, 235/380, 235/382, 380/258, 701/207, 701/213, 705/16, 705/18, 705/26, 705/44, 726 4- 6, 726 26- 28
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder

Abstract

Likelihood of fraud is reduced by having at least one of an identifier of a location from where a request is submitted or information that can lead to identification of the location, submitted with or in addition to a request. Then, determination is made to whether to service the request, based at least in part on the location from where the request is submitted. In various embodiments, the location may be compared against predetermined permissible location(s) or a current user location. The request may be a request to charge an amount against an account, such as a credit card account, a request to access a physical resource, such as a VPN, or an informational resource, such as account information, or a request to access a secured area.

Claims

1. A request processing method with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising a request processor:

receiving a request submitted by a user for access to data through an access device,

receiving a location identifier or information that can lead to identification of the location, said identifier or information being provided by a position-sensing device selected by the user from a group of eligible devices prior to submitting the request, the position-sensing device being different from the access device, and information identifying the selected position-sensing device being received by the request processor in advance of the request processor receiving the request submitted by the user, and

determining whether to service the request based at least in part on the received identification of the location from where the request is initiated received from the selected position-sensing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining by the request processor comprises the request processor accessing a database having one or more permissible locations from where said request may be submitted, and comparing the location from where the request is submitted against the permissible location(s) from where said request may be submitted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

said determining by the request processor comprises the request processor comparing the location from where the request is submitted with the current location of the user.

4. The request processing method of claim 1, wherein said request for access to data comprises a request to access a virtual private network.

5. A request processing system with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising:

a computer storage medium having stored therein a plurality of computer programming instructions designed to

receive information identifying a selected position-sensing device to be used by a user;

receive a request from the user for access to data through an access device,

receive an identification of a location or information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is initiated, said identification or information being provided by the selected position-sensing device selected by the user from a group of eligible devices prior to submitting the request, the selected position-sensing device being different from the access device, and

determine whether to service the request based at least in part on the location from where the request is initiated received from the selected position-sensing device; and

a processor coupled to the computer storage medium to execute the plurality of computer programming instructions.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to perform said determining by accessing a database having one or more permissible locations from where said request may be submitted, and comparing the received location against the permissible location(s) from where said request may be submitted.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the programming instructions are further designed to receive and store a permissible location in said database.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said request for access to data comprises a request to access a virtual private network.

9. A request processing method with reduced likelihood of fraud, comprising a request processor:

receiving in advance of one or more transactions identification information of a selected position-sensing device, said selected position-sensing device having been selected by a user from a group of eligible devices to be used for location verification for said one or more transactions;

receiving a request submitted through an access device that is different from the position-sensing device to charge an amount against an account for at least one of said one or more transactions; and

determining whether to service the request, based at least in part on the received identification of the location from where the request is initiated and a corresponding location of the position-sensing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said group of eligible devices includes a cell phone, a watch, jewelry, and a wallet.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a request by a request processor to charge an amount against an account for at least one transaction;

receiving with or in addition to the request a location identifier or information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is being submitted;

the request processor servicing the request based at least in part on the received identification of the location from where the request is initiated; and

subsequent to the request being serviced, the request processor facilitating a map or satellite view to be viewed by a user, said map or satellite view being of an area including and identifying the location from where the request was initiated and/or where the request was serviced.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said facilitating a map or satellite view to be viewed by a user comprises the request processor receiving an identification of selection of a particular transaction selected by the user from a transaction history provided to the user and forming a resultant map or satellite view of an area including and identifying the location from where the request was initiated and/or where the request was serviced for the particular selected transaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said transaction history provided to the user is in the form of an online statement accessible by the user.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the location identifier or information that can lead to identification of the location from where the request is being submitted is provided by a position-sensing device selected by the user from a group of eligible devices prior to the request processor receiving the request, and wherein information identifying the selected position-sensing device is received by the request processor prior to the request processor receiving the request.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said group of eligible devices includes a cell phone, a watch, jewelry, and a wallet.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the request to charge an amount against an account is submitted by an access device that is different from the position-sensing device.