Child identity monitor

• US 7,841,004 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Yu, Nelson, Miranda, Arlene E., Balducci, Michael R., Burger, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUMPITAZ, BOB R
• Application Number:
  US12/718,936
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 705300-500, 726/1, 713/186, 455/410
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

An identity monitoring system notifies legal guardians of potentially fraudulent activity associated with their children'"'"'s identities. The monitoring system may determine if credit files for respective enrolled minors exist and monitor any credit files of the enrolled minors, such as via periodic requests for credit data and comparison of certain returned credit data, in order to determine if potentially fraudulent activity associated with the minor has occurred. The monitoring system provides periodic notifications, such as via email and/or Internet-accessible user interfaces, regarding potentially fraudulent use of their children'"'"'s identities. In one embodiment, the monitoring system also provides legal guardians with useful information and resources for how they can further protect the identity of their children.

Claims

1. A computerized method of monitoring unauthorized use of a child'"'"'s identity comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, personally identifying information associated with a child, the personally identifying information comprising one or more of;

a name, an address, at least a portion of a social security number, and a maiden name of the child'"'"'s mother;

receiving, by the computing device, an electronic certification from a legal guardian of the child certifying that the legal guardian truly is the legal guardian of the child; and

periodically providing information to the legal guardian regarding the presence or absence of potentially fraudulent activity associated with the child, wherein the periodically providing comprises performing the following method on a periodic basis;

receiving, by the computing device, credit information associated with the child;

determining, by the computing device, if the credit information associated with the child indicates, in one or more of a public record, a tradeline, and a credit inquiry portions of the credit information, no activity associated with the child, new activity that was not indicated in credit information previously received for the child, or the same activity that was also indicated in credit information previously received for the child;

in response to determining that the credit information associated with the child indicates no activity associated with the child, transmitting, by the computing device, an electronic communication to the legal guardian indicating that no activity has been detected;

in response to determining that the credit information associated with the child indicates new activity that was not indicated in credit information previously received for the child, transmitting, by the computing device, an electronic communication to the legal guardian indicating that potentially fraudulent activity has been detected; and

in response to determining that the credit information associated with the child indicates only the same activity that was also indicated in credit information previously received for the child, transmitting, by the computing device, an electronic communication to the legal guardian indicating that no new activity has been detected.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the credit information associated with the child comprises:

an indication that no credit file was located for the child;

or

information contained in a credit file located for the child.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the credit information associated with the child is requested monthly and the electronic communication comprises an email.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the electronic certification comprises a checkbox on an Internet-accessible form that must be selected by the legal guardian in order to certify that the legal guardian truly is a legal guardian of the child.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the electronic certification comprises an electronic signature of the legal guardian.

6. A child fraud monitoring system comprising:

a computer processor configured to execute modules comprising at least;

an enrollment module configured to receive personally identifying information associated with a child and an electronic certification from a legal guardian of the child certifying that the legal guardian truly is the legal guardian of the child, the child personally identifying information comprising one or more of;

a name, an address, at least a portion of a social security number, and a maiden name of the child'"'"'s mother;

a monitoring module configured to periodically receive credit information associated with the child and determine if the credit information associated with the child indicates, in one or more of a public record, a tradeline, and a credit inquiry portions of the credit information, no activity associated with the child, new activity that was not indicated in credit information previously received for the child, or the same activity that was also indicated in credit information previously received for the child; and

a reporting module configured to periodically provide information to the legal guardian regarding the presence or absence of potentially fraudulent activity associated with the child by processing the credit information periodically received by the monitoring module, wherein the processing comprises;

in response to the monitoring module determining that the credit information associated with the child indicates no activity associated with the child, transmitting an electronic communication to the legal guardian indicating that no activity has been detected;

in response to the monitoring module determining that the credit information associated with the child indicates new activity that was not indicated in credit information previously received for the child, transmitting an electronic communication to the legal guardian indicating that potentially fraudulent activity has been detected; and

in response to the monitoring module determining that the credit information associated with the child indicates only the same activity that was also indicated in credit information previously received for the child, transmitting an electronic communication to the legal guardian indicating that no new activity has been detected.

7. The child fraud monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the credit information associated with the child comprises:

an indication that no credit file for the child was located;

or

information of a located credit file.

8. The child fraud monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the credit information associated with the child is requested monthly and the electronic communication comprises an email.

9. The child fraud monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the electronic certification comprises a checkbox on an Internet-accessible form that must be selected by the legal guardian in order to certify that the legal guardian truly is a legal guardian of the child.

10. The child fraud monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the electronic certification comprises an electronic signature of the legal guardian.