Apparatus including data bearing medium for reducing fraud in payment transactions using a black list

• US 9,396,465 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman
• Primary Examiner(s): YU, ARIEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/507,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• 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 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for reducing fraud in electronic payment transactions. The apparatus includes a processor that executes instructions to implement a process to identify consumer or merchant devices that have been used in fraudulent transactions and prevent the authorization of future transactions that are initiated using those devices. By collecting device data as part of authorization messages and processing that data, devices that are used in fraudulent transactions with different merchants or involving different accounts may be identified and prevented from being the source of future transactions. This prevents future losses and reinforces the integrity of the transaction system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing fraud in electronic payment transactions, comprising:

a processor configured to execute a set of instructions;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing the set of instructions; and

the set of instructions stored in the memory, wherein when the instructions are executed by the processor, the apparatus operates to;

receive a plurality of authorization messages associated with a plurality of electronic payment transactions from a plurality of merchant computers and forward the plurality of authorization messages to an issuer computer for approval, each authorization message comprising an account number associated with a payment card issued by an issuer associated with the issuer computer and data regarding an electronic consumer device used to conduct an associated electronic payment transaction, wherein the account number associated with the payment card is entered into the electronic consumer device to conduct the electronic payment transaction, wherein the data regarding the electronic consumer device includes device identification data uniquely identifying the electronic consumer device;

identify, using the device identification data, that the same electronic consumer device being used to conduct each of the plurality of electronic payment transactions;

process the plurality of authorization messages to determine that the electronic consumer device was previously used to conduct one or more declined or fraudulent transactions, the processing including;

analyzing the plurality of electronic payment transactions, and

determining, based on the analyzing, that one or more electronic payment transactions among the plurality of electronic payment transactions are declined or fraudulent;

determine a score for the electronic consumer device based on a number and type of the one or more declined or fraudulent electronic payment transactions;

blacklist the electronic consumer device when the score exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold depends upon one or more factors associated with the electronic consumer device;

store the score and determination of blacklisting the electronic consumer device;

receive a subsequent authorization message from a merchant computer for an authorization process associated with a subsequent electronic payment transaction initiated with the merchant computer using the blacklisted electronic consumer device;

communicate, after receiving the subsequent authorization message, the determination of blacklisting the electronic consumer device to the merchant computer in an authorization response message as part of the authorization process for the subsequent electronic payment transaction; and

deny authorization for the subsequent electronic payment transaction based on the score and determination of blacklisting the electronic consumer device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of authorization messages are generated from transactions involving more than one payment account.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data regarding the electronic consumer device is one or more of a computer identifier, IP address, mobile phone identifier, or mobile phone number.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the plurality of authorization messages to determine that the electronic consumer device was used to conduct the one or more declined or fraudulent electronic payment transactions further comprises associating the electronic consumer device with a plurality of previously conducted declined or fraudulent transactions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors include a previous transaction history for the electronic consumer device, percentage of fraudulent transactions initiated by the electronic consumer device or total value of the fraudulent transactions initiated by electronic consumer device.

6. A method of reducing fraud in electronic payment transactions, comprising:

receiving a plurality of authorization messages associated with a plurality of electronic payment transactions from a plurality of merchant computers and forwarding the plurality of authorization messages to an issuer computer for approval, each authorization message comprising an account number associated with a payment card issued by an issuer associated with the issuer computer and data regarding an electronic consumer device used to conduct an associated electronic payment transaction, wherein the account number associated with the payment card is entered into the electronic consumer device to conduct the electronic payment transaction, wherein the data regarding the electronic consumer device includes a device identification data uniquely identifying the electronic consumer device;

identifying, using the device identification data, that the same electronic consumer device being used to conduct each of the plurality of electronic payment transactions;

operating an electronic data processing device to process the plurality of authorization messages to determine that the electronic consumer device was previously used to conduct one or more declined or fraudulent transactions, the processing including;

analyzing the plurality of electronic payment transactions, and

determining, based on the analyzing, that one or more electronic payment transactions among the plurality of electronic payment transactions are declined or fraudulent;

determining a score for the electronic consumer device based on a number and type of the one or more declined or fraudulent electronic payment transactions;

blacklisting the electronic consumer device when the score exceeds a first predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold depends upon one or more factors associated with the electronic consumer device;

storing the score and determination of blacklisting the electronic consumer device;

receiving a subsequent authorization message from a merchant computer for an authorization process associated with a subsequent electronic payment transaction initiated with the merchant computer using the blacklisted electronic consumer device;

communicating, after receiving the subsequent authorization message, the determination of blacklisting the electronic consumer device to the merchant computer in an authorization response message as part of the authorization process for the subsequent electronic payment transaction; and

denying authorization for the subsequent electronic payment transaction based on the score and determination of blacklisting the electronic consumer device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of authorization messages are generated from transactions involving more than one payment account.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the data regarding the electronic consumer device is one or more of a computer identifier, IP address, mobile phone identifier, or mobile phone number.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein processing the plurality of authorization messages to determine that the electronic consumer device was used to conduct the one or more declined or fraudulent electronic payment transactions further comprises associating the electronic consumer device with a plurality of previously conducted declined or fraudulent transactions.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

gray-listing the electronic consumer device if the score exceeds a second predetermined threshold and is below the first predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein gray-listing the electronic consumer device further comprises requiring that authorization of a future electronic payment transaction being conducted with the electronic consumer device depend upon one or more of

additional information provided by a user of the electronic consumer device or a merchant with whom the electronic payment transaction is being conducted;

or

satisfaction of a condition or requirement imposed on the electronic consumer device, or on a payment account associated with the consumer.