Method to improve fraud detection on conference calling systems by detecting re-use of conference moderator passwords

• US 8,635,683 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lingafelt, Charles Steven, Murray, James William, Swantek, James Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, April Y
• Application Number:
  US12/631,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20110135080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 726/5, 726/18, 726/19, 726/20, 379/203.01, 713/182, 713/183
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/205 Eavesdropping prevention - indication of insecurity of line or network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for detecting fraudulent use of a moderator passcode in a conference calling system. The method sets a threshold number of moderator passcodes permitted in a conference call. The total number of moderator passcodes entered into the conference call is determined and compared to the threshold number with a processor. The conference call is allowed to continue if the threshold number exceeds the total number of moderator passcodes entered into the conference call. If, however, the total number of moderator passcodes exceeds the threshold number of moderator passcodes, the processor performs validation actions and/or alert actions.

Claims

1. A method for detecting fraudulent use of a passcode in a conference calling system, said method including:

obtaining first information from a person assigned the passcode;

setting a threshold number of passcodes permitted in a conference call;

determining a total number of passcodes entered into the conference call;

comparing the total number of passcodes to the threshold number of passcodes with a processor; and

performing actions with the processor when the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes, said performing of the actions including obtaining second information from at least one person who has entered the passcode into the conference call, and determining whether the second information matches the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including permitting the conference call to continue when the threshold number exceeds the total number of passcodes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said performing of the actions includes, sending an alert to the at least one person who has entered the passcode when the second information matches the first information, the alert indicating that the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information includes at least one of an employee number, an identification badge number, a home telephone number, a home address, a mobile telephone number, an e-mail address, an office telephone number, an office address, and at least one answer to at least one security question entered by the person assigned the passcode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said performing of the actions includes sending an alert to at least one of an administrator of the conference calling system, at least one person who has entered the passcode, participants of the conference call, and at least one security personnel, the alert indicating that the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said performing of the actions includes at least one of permitting an administrator of the conference calling system to enter the conference call, terminating the conference call, and voiding the passcode.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said performing of the actions includes generating and storing a report when the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes, where the report includes at least one of the passcode, the threshold number of passcodes, the total number of passcodes entered into the conference call, a total number of participant passcodes entered when the threshold number of passcodes was exceeded, telephone numbers of attendees that called into the conference calling system, a time and date when the threshold number of passcodes was exceeded, and the actions performed.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the actions include first information from a person assigned the passcode, and second information from at least one person who has entered the passcode into the conference call.

9. A system for detecting fraudulent use of a passcode in a conference calling system, said system including:

a user interface, said user interface receives a threshold number of passcodes permitted in a conference call, first information from a person assigned the passcode, and second information from at least one person who has entered the passcode into the conference call;

a counter, said counter determines a total number of passcodes entered into the conference call; and

a processor operatively connected to said counter and said user interface, said processor compares the total number of passcodes from said counter to the threshold number of passcodes from said user interface, said processor performs actions when the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes, and said processor determines whether the second information matches the first information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said processor permits the conference call to continue when the threshold number of passcodes exceeds the total number of passcodes.

11. The system according to claim 9,

wherein said processor includes an alert module comprising at least one circuit, said alert module sends an alert to the at least one person who has entered the passcode when the second information matches the first information, the alert indicating that the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first information and the second information includes at least one of an employee number, an identification badge number, a telephone number, a home address, an e-mail address, an office address, and at least one answer to at least one security question entered by the person assigned the passcode.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein said processor includes an alert module comprising at least one circuit, said alert module sends an alert to at least one of an administrator of said conference calling system, at least one person who has entered the passcode, participants of the conference call, and at least one security personnel, the alert indicating that the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein said processor does at least one of permits an administrator of said conference calling system to enter the conference call, terminates the conference call, and voids the passcode.

15. The system according to claim 9,

wherein said processor includes a report generating module comprising at least one circuit, said report generating module generates and stores a report when the total number of passcodes exceeds the threshold number of passcodes, where the report includes at least one of the passcode, the threshold number of passcodes, the total number of passcodes entered into the conference call, a total number of participant passcodes entered when the threshold number of passcodes was exceeded, telephone numbers of attendees that called into said conference calling system, a time and date when the threshold number of passcodes was exceeded, and the actions performed.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the actions include first information from a person assigned the passcode, and second information from at least one person who has entered the passcode into the conference call.

17. A method for detecting fraudulent use of a moderator passcode in a conference calling system, said method including:

setting a threshold number of moderator passcodes permitted in a conference call with a user interface;

determining a total number of moderator passcodes entered into the conference call with a counter module;

comparing the total number of moderator passcodes to the threshold number of moderator passcodes with a processor; and

performing at least one of validation actions and alert actions with the processor when the total number of moderator passcodes exceeds the threshold number of moderator passcodes, said performing of said validation actions includes obtaining first information from a person assigned the moderator passcode with the user interface, obtaining second information from at least one person who has entered the moderator passcode into the conference call with the user interface, and determining whether the second information matches the first information with the processor.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first information and the second information includes at least one of an employee number, an identification badge number, a home telephone number, a home address, a mobile telephone number, an e-mail address, an office telephone number, an office address, and at least one answer to at least one security question entered by the person assigned the moderator passcode.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein said performing of said at least one of validation actions and alert actions includes, sending an alert to the at least one person who has entered the moderator passcode with the processor when the second information matches the first information, the alert indicating that the total number of moderator passcodes exceeds the threshold number of moderator passcodes.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said performing of said at least one of validation actions and alert actions includes at least one of:

sending an alert to at least one of an administrator of the conference calling system, at least one person who has entered the moderator passcode, participants of the conference call, and at least one security personnel, the alert indicating that the total number of moderator passcodes exceeds the threshold number of moderator passcodes;

permitting an administrator of the conference calling system to enter the conference call;

terminating the conference call; and

voiding the moderator passcode.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said performing of said at least one of validation actions and alert actions includes generating and storing a report when the total number of moderator passcodes exceeds the threshold number of moderator passcodes, where the report includes at least one of the moderator passcode, the threshold number of moderator passcodes, the total number of moderator passcodes entered into the conference call, a total number of participant passcodes entered when the threshold number of moderator passcodes was exceeded, telephone numbers of attendees that called into the conference calling system, a time and date when the threshold number of moderator passcodes was exceeded, said validation actions performed, and said alert actions performed.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said validation actions include first information from a person assigned the moderator passcode, and second information from at least one person who has entered the moderator passcode into the conference call.

23. A computer program product for detecting fraudulent use of a moderator passcode in a conference calling system, said computer program product including:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to set a threshold number of moderator passcodes permitted in a conference call;

second program instructions to determine a total number of moderator passcodes entered into the conference call;

third program instructions to compare the total number of moderator passcodes to the threshold number of moderator passcodes with a processor; and

fourth program instructions to perform actions with the processor when the total number of moderator passcodes exceeds the threshold number of moderator passcodes,

wherein said first program instructions, said second program instructions, said third program instructions, and said fourth program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium.