Apparatuses, methods and systems for a trackable virtual currencies platform

• US 8,315,944 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Driemeyer, Justin, Ocko, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Subramanian, Narayanswamy
• Application Number:
  US13/244,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 39
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

Methods for detecting fraud using virtual currency transaction include receiving information regarding a virtual currency transaction from a user. The information is analyzed to determine whether the transaction involves a user that is being tracked, wherein the user being tracked is associated with an elevated level of risk of fraud. When a user associated with the transaction is being tracked, the virtual currency transaction is monitored using tracked virtual currency. The virtual currency transaction is identified as potentially fraudulent based on the monitoring.

Claims

1. A fraud detection method implemented by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request to process a virtual currency transaction, the request including information related to transaction details regarding the virtual currency transaction;

analyzing the information associated with the virtual currency transaction, via the processor, to determine whether the virtual currency transaction involves a user that is being tracked, wherein the information includes one or more characteristics of the virtual currency transaction, the user being tracked is associated with an elevated level of risk of fraud;

when the virtual currency transaction involves the user that is being tracked, monitoring, via the processor, progress of the virtual currency transaction using tracked virtual currency to determine if the virtual currency of the virtual currency transaction is involved in a fraud event, the tracked virtual currency being tagged with unique identifiers to facilitate tracking of the virtual currency;

when the virtual currency transaction includes virtual currency that is not tagged,

(a) identifying at least a subset of the virtual currency from the virtual currency transaction;

(b) associating unique identifiers to the virtual currency within the subset to facilitate tracking of the virtual currency; and

identifying the virtual currency transaction as potentially fraudulent or not potentially fraudulent as a result of the monitoring based on predetermined transaction rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information associated with the virtual currency transaction to identify the virtual currency transaction as potentially fraudulent includes analyzing any one or a combination of a nature of virtual currency transaction, previous historical data of the user being tracked and social graph information associated with virtual currency transaction participants.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to virtual currency transaction of the request includes information related to one of tracked virtual currency having unique tag for tracking, untracked virtual currency having no tags for tracking or a combination of tracked virtual currency and untracked virtual currency.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the virtual currency transaction further includes,

retrieving prior game play patterns of the user;

and

analyzing the prior game play patterns to determine if the user associated with the virtual currency transaction is involved in a potentially fraudulent event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the virtual currency transaction further includes,

obtaining social graph data from social graphs associated with the user and friends of the user;

and

analyzing the social graph data according to predetermined rules to determine if any one of the user and friends of the user are involved in one or more potentially fraudulent event, wherein the predetermined rules accord different weights for different types of links in the social graph.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the virtual currency transaction further includes,

obtaining previous actual fraud data and potential fraud events data associated with the user and friends of the user;

and

analyzing the previous actual fraud data and the potential fraud events data according to predetermined rules to determine if the virtual currency transaction is involved in a potentially fraudulent event.

7. The method of claim 1, further includes,

when the virtual currency transaction is identified as being involved in a potentially fraudulent event,

recording the fraudulent event associated with the virtual currency transaction by updating a fraud event table with information associated with the virtual currency transaction and the fraudulent event, the data updated to the fraud event table used for subsequent retrieval and analysis.

8. A system for detecting fraud in an online gaming application, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory and configured to issue processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to;

receive a request to process a virtual currency transaction, the request including information related to transaction details regarding the virtual currency transaction;

analyze the information associated with the virtual currency transaction to determine whether the virtual currency transaction involves a user that is being tracked, wherein the information includes one or more characteristics of the virtual currency transaction, the user being tracked is associated with an elevated level of risk of fraud;

when the virtual currency transaction involves the user that is being tracked, monitor progress of the virtual currency transaction using tracked virtual currency to determine if the virtual currency of the virtual currency transaction is involved in a fraud event, the tracked virtual currency being tagged with unique identifiers to facilitate tracking of the virtual currency;

when the virtual currency transaction includes virtual currency that is not tagged, the processor issues instructions to,

associate unique identifiers to at least a subset of the virtual currency within the virtual currency transaction to facilitate tracking of the virtual currency; and

identify the virtual currency transaction as potentially fraudulent or not potentially fraudulent as a result of the monitoring based on predetermined transaction rules.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein processing instructions to monitor the virtual currency transaction is further configured to,

retrieve prior game play patterns of the user;

and

analyze the prior game play patterns to determine if the user associated with the virtual currency transaction is involved in a potentially fraudulent event.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein processing instructions to monitor the virtual currency transaction is further configured to,

obtain social graph data from social graphs associated with the user and friends of the user;

and

analyze the social graph data according to predetermined rules to determine if any one of the user and friends of the user are involved in one or more potentially fraudulent events, wherein the predetermined rules accord different weights for different types of links in the social graph.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein processing instructions to monitor the virtual currency transaction is further configured to,

obtain previous actual fraud data and potential fraud events data associated with the user and friends of the user;

and

analyze the previous actual fraud data and the potential fraud events data according to predetermined rules to determine if the virtual currency transaction is involved in a potentially fraudulent event.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein when the virtual currency transaction is identified as being involved in a potentially fraudulent event, the processing instructions is further configured to,

record the fraudulent event associated with the virtual currency transaction by updating a fraud event table with information associated with the virtual currency transaction and the fraudulent event, the data updated to the fraud event table used for subsequent retrieval and analysis.

13. A processor-readable tangible medium storing processor-issuable instructions for online gaming fraud detection, the instructions are configured to:

receive a request to process a virtual currency transaction, the request including information related to transaction details regarding the virtual currency transaction;

analyze the information associated with the virtual currency transaction to determine whether the virtual currency transaction involves a user that is being tracked, wherein the information includes one or more characteristics of the virtual currency transaction, the user being tracked is associated with an elevated level of risk of fraud;

when the virtual currency transaction involves the user that is being tracked, monitor progress of the virtual currency transaction using tracked virtual currency to determine if the virtual currency of the virtual currency transaction is involved in a fraud event, the tracked virtual currency being tagged with unique identifiers so as to facilitate tracking of the virtual currency;

when the virtual currency transaction includes virtual currency that is not tagged, the instructions are configured to,

associate unique identifiers to at least a subset of the virtual currency within the virtual currency transaction to facilitate tracking of the virtual currency; and

identify the virtual currency transaction as potentially fraudulent or not potentially fraudulent as a result of the monitoring based on predetermined transaction rules.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein instructions to monitor the virtual currency transaction is further configured to,

retrieve prior game play patterns of the user;

and

analyze the prior game play patterns to determine if the user associated with the virtual currency transaction is involved in a potentially fraudulent event.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein instructions to monitor the virtual currency transaction is further configured to,

obtain social graph data from social graphs associated with the user and friends of the user;

and

analyze the social graph data according to predetermined rules to determine if any one of the user and friends of the user are involved in one or more potentially fraudulent events, wherein the predetermined rules accord different weights for different types of links in the social graph.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein instructions to monitor the virtual currency transaction is further configured to,

obtain previous actual fraud data and potential fraud events data associated with the user and friends of the user;

and

analyze the previous actual fraud data and the potential fraud events data according to predetermined rules to determine if the virtual currency transaction is involved in a potentially fraudulent event.