System to monitor irregular activity

• US 8,010,406 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Vogel, Irina, Ye, Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Application Number:
  US12/987,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.26, 705/35, 705/37, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving item data at a network-based computer system, the item data related to an item categorized in at least a first category of a plurality of categories supported by the network-based computer system and including an item price-based value associated with the item. A category-specific threshold price-based value, for the first category of the plurality of categories supported by the network-based computer system, is automatically determined. The item data is automatically determined to the irregular, based on the item price-based value associated with the item and the category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories supported by the network-based computer system. Responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, an entity associated with the item is restricted from using the network-based computer system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an item record that corresponds to a price-based value related to an item available to be transacted using a network-based transaction system,

the item record including an irregular flag and location data that corresponds to the item;

determining a threshold value for the item record based on the location data,

the determining of the threshold value being performed by a processor of a machine; and

setting a flag value of the irregular flag in the item record based on the price-based value transgressing the threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the location data indicates a geographic area that corresponds to the item available to be transacted; and

the determining of the threshold value is based on the geographic area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the location data indicates a geographic location within the geographic area that corresponds to the item available to be transacted; and

the determining of the threshold value is based on the geographic location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the item is being sold by a seller of the item; and

the geographic area corresponds to a location of the seller of the item.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the item record is received from a client machine communicatively coupled to the network-based transaction system; and

the geographic area corresponds to a location of the client machine.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removing the item record from a database of the network-based transaction system in response to the irregular flag having the flag value.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating an electronic message to an entity associated with the item record in response to the irregular flag having the flag value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restricting an entity associated with the item from using the network-based transaction system in response to the irregular flag having the flag value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a data representation that references the item record based on the irregular flag having the flag value and based on a plurality of data records accessible by the network-based transaction system,

the plurality of data records including the item record.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the item record includes a category of the item; and

the determining of the threshold value is based on the category of the item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the item record includes currency data that corresponds to the item; and

the determining of the threshold value is based on the currency data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the currency data indicates a first currency; and

the determining of the threshold value includes converting a listed value to the first currency from a second currency.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the determining of the threshold value includes accessing a table that correlates the currency data with a category of the item.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the price-based value is a price of the item,

the price of the item being at least one of a selling price or a bid price.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the price-based value is a fee that is set by the network-based transaction facility based on a price of the item.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the location data indicates a geographic area that corresponds to the item available to be transacted; and

the irregular activity monitoring module is further configured to determine the threshold value based on the geographic area.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the item is being sold by a seller of the item; and

the geographic area corresponds to a location of the seller of the item.

16. A system comprising:

a database to receive an item record that corresponds to a price-based value related to an item available to be transacted using a network-based transaction system,

the item record including an irregular flag and location data that corresponds to the item; and

irregular activity monitoring module implemented by a processor machine,

the irregular activity monitoring module being configured to;

determine a threshold value for the item record based on the location data; and

set a flag value of the irregular flag in the item record based on the price-based value transgressing the threshold value.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving an item record that corresponds to a price-based value related to an item available to be transacted using a network-based transaction system,

the item record including an irregular flag and location data that corresponds to the item;

determining a threshold value for the item record based on the location data; and

setting a flag value of the irregular flag in the item record based on the price-based value transgressing the threshold value.

20. A system comprising:

means for receiving an item record that corresponds to a price-based value related to an item available to be transacted using a network-based transaction system,

the item record including an irregular flag and location data that corresponds to the item; and

means for;

determining a threshold value for the item record based on the location data; and

setting a flag value of the irregular flag in the item record based on the price-based value transgressing the threshold value.