Time-dependent response to user-determined unauthorized transaction

• US 8,615,438 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.), Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US12/687,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 705/21
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40155 for triggering transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A system and method is described for alerting authorities or taking other corrective authoritative action to a possibly fraudulent credit card transaction. A cardholder is notified that a transaction has just taken place and is given an opportunity to indicate that he or she did not authorize the transaction. If so indicated, and depending on how recent the transaction was (e.g. 15 seconds ago) then an alert is automatically sent to the merchant, store security, or local police. In addition, a store camera can be automatically activated to zoom in and record the perpetrator of the fraudulent transaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, using a server computer, a transaction notification message to a user after a transaction is attempted on a joint account by an unauthorized person using an account identifier associated with a portable consumer device, wherein the user is a first accountholder of the account, wherein the transaction notification message is sent by the server computer after an, initiation of the attempted transaction;

receiving a response indicator from the user that the attempted transaction is not authorized by the user;

determining a time difference between a present time and a time that the transaction attempt occurred;

comparing, using at least one processor operatively coupled with a memory, the time difference to a time threshold;

based on whether the tune difference is within the time threshold, taking corrective authoritative action;

receiving additional response indicators from other accountholders of the account that the transaction attempt is authorized or is not authorized;

comparing a number of the response indicators that the transaction attempt was not authorized to a number of response indicators that the transaction attempt was authorized, the numbers of response indicators including the response indicator from the first accountholder, the response indicator from a second accountholder, and the additional response indicators from the other accountholders;

determining whether first accountholder can veto a transaction on the account; and

based on a determination that the number of response indicators indicating that the transaction attempt was authorized outvote the number of response indicators indicating that the transaction attempt was not authorized, and based on a determination that the first accountholder cannot veto a transaction on the account, sending a message to an authority to disregard a previously sent alert.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

locking a door at a location of the transaction, storing an internet protocol (IP) address of a camera at a location of the transaction, or allocating storage for image data from a camera at a location of the transaction.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically determining to what authority, from a list of authorities, to send an alert about the attempted transaction, the determination based on how recent the transaction attempt occurred.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving information about an attempt at a second transaction at a store location of a merchant;

sending an alert about the first transaction attempt to the store location, thereby allowing employees of the store location to scrutinize the second transaction attempt and a person initiating the second transaction attempt.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an alert, the alert including the time that the transaction attempt occurred, a merchant name associated with the transaction, and a store location at which the attempted transaction occurred.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

based on the comparison of the time difference to the time threshold, sending one of an enable command, a slew command, and a do-not-erase command to a security camera at a store location where the transaction attempt occurred, thereby allowing image recording of the person initiating the transaction attempt.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction attempt is an attempt to purchase goods or services at a retail store location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction attempt is an attempt to transfer funds between accounts.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an alert to a third-party security provider.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an alert to the merchant who attempted to process the transaction attempt, thereby allowing the merchant to scrutinize a person initiating the transaction attempt.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction attempt is associated with one of a credit card and debit card.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction attempt is part of a completed transaction.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps are performed in the order shown.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein taking corrective authoritative action includes sending a command to a videocamera at a location of the transaction, the command selected from the group consisting of an actuation command, a zoom command, and an increase resolution command.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein taking corrective authoritative action is performed automatically after the comparison of the time difference to the threshold.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein taking corrective authoritative action includes sending an alert to a police agency local to a merchant store location at which the transaction was attempted.

17. A machine-readable non-transitory storable medium embodying information indicative of instructions for causing one or more machines to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

instructions for sending, using a server computer, a transaction notification message to a user after a transaction is attempted on a joint account by an unauthorized person using an account identifier associated with a portable consumer device, wherein the user is a first accountholder of the account, wherein the transaction notification message is sent by the server computer after an initiation of the attempted transaction;

instructions for receiving a response indicator from the user that the attempted transaction is not authorized by the user;

instructions for determining a time difference between a present time and a time that the transaction attempt occurred;

instructions for comparing, using at least one processor operatively coupled with a memory, the time difference to a time threshold;

instructions for, based on whether the time difference is within the time threshold, taking corrective authoritative action;

instructions for receiving additional response indicators from other accountholders of the account that the transaction attempt is authorized or is not authorized;

instructions for comparing a number of the response indicators that the transaction attempt was not authorized to a number of response indicators that the transaction attempt was authorized, the numbers of response indicators including the response indicator from the first accountholder, the response indicator from a second accountholder, and the additional response indicators from the other accountholders;

instructions for determining whether the first accountholder can veto a transaction on the account; and

instructions for, based on a determination that the number of response indicators indicating that the transaction attempt was authorized outvote the number of response indicators indicating that the transaction attempt was not authorized, and based on a determination that the first accountholder cannot veto a transaction on the account, sending a message to an authority to disregard a previously sent alert.

18. A computer system executing instructions in a computer program, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively coupled with the at least one processor, the processor executing instructions comprising;

program code for sending, using a server computer, a transaction notification message to a user after a transaction is attempted on a joint account by an unauthorized person using an account identifier associated with a portable consumer device, wherein the user is a first accountholder of the account, wherein the transaction notification message is sent by the server computer after an initiation of the attempted transaction;

program code for receiving a response indicator from the user that the attempted transaction is not authorized by the user;

program code for determining a time difference between a present time and a time that the transaction attempt occurred;

program code for comparing, using at least one processor operatively coupled with a memory, the time difference to a time threshold;

program code for, based on whether the time difference is within the time threshold, taking corrective authoritative action;

program code for receiving additional response indicators from other accountholders of the account that the transaction attempt is authorized or is not authorized;

program code for comparing a number of the response indicators that the transaction attempt was not authorized to a number of response indicators that the transaction attempt was authorized, the numbers of response indicators including the response indicator from the first accountholder, the response indicator from a second accountholder, and the additional response indicators from the other accountholders;

program code for determining whether the first accountholder can veto a transaction on the account; and

program code for, based on a determination that the number of response indicators indicating that the transaction attempt was authorized outvote the number of response indicators indicating that the transaction attempt was not authorized, and based on a determination that the first accountholder cannot veto a transaction on the account, sending a message to an authority to disregard a previously sent alert.