Indirect monitoring and reporting of a user's credit data
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring a user'"'"'s credit data to determine a risk of identity theft of the user in which an online credit monitoring service is provided and the user is required to enroll in the service by providing online sufficient information to reliably verify identity of the user, wherein the method addresses the problem of receiving insufficient enrollment information from the user, the method comprising:
- by a computer system comprising;
a credit data warehouse comprising millions of credit files relating to a corresponding millions of users;
a plurality of user computing devices, each user computing device associated with a user who has at least one account with at least one of the lenders that report the credit information to the credit data warehouse;
a credit monitoring server providing a credit monitoring service to the users of the user computing devices, the credit monitoring server comprising;
an enrollment module thatdelivers one or more web pages to a user computing device for enrollment of a user of the user computing device in the credit monitoring service; and
receives a request for credit monitoring of the user;
receives identifying information relating to the user in response to the user receiving the one or more web pages, the one or more web pages for presentation to the user via the user computing device and requesting identifying information sufficient to authorize reporting, to the user, a credit history of the user;
determines whether the identifying information relating to the user is sufficient to authorize reporting of the credit history to the user; and
in response to determining that the identifying information is sufficient, identifying the user as a complete enrollee of the credit monitoring service;
orin response to determining that the identifying information is not sufficient, identifying the user as an incomplete enrollee of the credit monitoring service; and
save the information received while identifying the information lacking to identify the user as a complete enrollee;
a credit monitoring module for delivering notices to the user computing devices indicating changes in their respective credit information in the credit data warehouse, wherein the credit monitoring module;
periodically monitors credit history of the user in the credit data warehouse to identify credit history events therein;
in response to identifying a credit history event in the credit history of the user;
determining whether the user is a complete enrollee in the credit monitoring service;
in response to determining that the user is a complete enrollee in the credit monitoring service, transmitting, by the credit monitoring server, to the user computing device of the user, an enrollee alert message regarding the credit history event, which includes detailed information regarding the credit history event and a link to access further information in the credit history of the user, orin response to determining that the user is not a complete incomplete enrollee in the credit monitoring service;
transmitting, by the credit monitoring server, to the user computing device of the user, an alert message regarding the credit history event providing only a portion of the detailed information regarding the credit history event;
providing to the user an option to complete enrollment in the credit monitoring service;
providing to the user a webpage indicating the information lacking to become a complete enrollee;
receiving from the user the lacking information; and
transmitting to the user the detailed information regarding the credit history event in response to the user completing enrollment in the credit monitoring service.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems of monitoring and reporting of changes to a user'"'"'s credit data are provided. One embodiment includes providing a service, hosted by a data server, that allows the user to access the service via a communication terminal. The service may also request enrollment data, including identity verification data, from the user. Further, the service may periodically access and monitor the user'"'"'s credit data for a change in the user'"'"'s credit data via a connection between the data server and a credit bureau even if the data server has not received sufficient identity verification data from the user. Additionally, the service may determine whether a change detected in the user'"'"'s credit data is a significant event. When an event or a significant event in the user'"'"'s credit data is detected, the service may alert the user of the fact that an event has occurred even if the data server has not received sufficient identity verification data from the user.
289 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring a user'"'"'s credit data to determine a risk of identity theft of the user in which an online credit monitoring service is provided and the user is required to enroll in the service by providing online sufficient information to reliably verify identity of the user, wherein the method addresses the problem of receiving insufficient enrollment information from the user, the method comprising:
by a computer system comprising; a credit data warehouse comprising millions of credit files relating to a corresponding millions of users; a plurality of user computing devices, each user computing device associated with a user who has at least one account with at least one of the lenders that report the credit information to the credit data warehouse; a credit monitoring server providing a credit monitoring service to the users of the user computing devices, the credit monitoring server comprising; an enrollment module that delivers one or more web pages to a user computing device for enrollment of a user of the user computing device in the credit monitoring service; and receives a request for credit monitoring of the user; receives identifying information relating to the user in response to the user receiving the one or more web pages, the one or more web pages for presentation to the user via the user computing device and requesting identifying information sufficient to authorize reporting, to the user, a credit history of the user; determines whether the identifying information relating to the user is sufficient to authorize reporting of the credit history to the user; and in response to determining that the identifying information is sufficient, identifying the user as a complete enrollee of the credit monitoring service;
orin response to determining that the identifying information is not sufficient, identifying the user as an incomplete enrollee of the credit monitoring service; and save the information received while identifying the information lacking to identify the user as a complete enrollee; a credit monitoring module for delivering notices to the user computing devices indicating changes in their respective credit information in the credit data warehouse, wherein the credit monitoring module; periodically monitors credit history of the user in the credit data warehouse to identify credit history events therein; in response to identifying a credit history event in the credit history of the user; determining whether the user is a complete enrollee in the credit monitoring service; in response to determining that the user is a complete enrollee in the credit monitoring service, transmitting, by the credit monitoring server, to the user computing device of the user, an enrollee alert message regarding the credit history event, which includes detailed information regarding the credit history event and a link to access further information in the credit history of the user, or in response to determining that the user is not a complete incomplete enrollee in the credit monitoring service;
transmitting, by the credit monitoring server, to the user computing device of the user, an alert message regarding the credit history event providing only a portion of the detailed information regarding the credit history event;
providing to the user an option to complete enrollment in the credit monitoring service;
providing to the user a webpage indicating the information lacking to become a complete enrollee;
receiving from the user the lacking information; and
transmitting to the user the detailed information regarding the credit history event in response to the user completing enrollment in the credit monitoring service.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution by one or more computer processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving a request for credit monitoring of a user via a credit monitoring service; receiving identifying information relating to the user, the information submitted by the user in response to the user receiving a web page, for presentation, which requests identifying information sufficient to authorize reporting, to the user, of credit events related to credit data associated with the user as maintained and updated by one or more credit bureaus; determining whether the identifying information relating to the user is sufficient to authorize reporting of credit events to the user; in response to determining that the identifying information is sufficient, identifying the user as having completed enrollment in the credit monitoring service;
orin response to determining that the identifying information is not sufficient, identifying the user as not having completed enrollment in the credit monitoring service; identifying, for transmission as an alert message to the user and by the computer system, a credit event in the user'"'"'s credit, wherein a frequency of transmitting respective alert messages increases, or decreases, based on a sufficiency of the identifying information to authorize reporting of credit events to the user; in response to identifying the credit event; determining whether the user has completed enrollment in the credit monitoring service; and in response to determining that the user has not completed enrollment in the credit monitoring service, transmitting to the user an alert message indicating that the credit event was identified, but not including detailed information regarding the credit event, the alert message further indicating a link to an internet-accessible user interface indicating additional information of the user that is required before providing the detailed information regarding the credit event; when the user provides the additional information, providing the detailed information regarding the credit event to the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system comprising:
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a first system in communication with a user computing device associated with a consumer, the first system comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution by the one or more processors, cause the first system to perform operations comprising; receiving, from the user computing device associated with the consumer, a request to enroll in a credit monitoring service, wherein the request includes personally identifying information for the consumer, the information submitted by the consumer in response to the consumer receiving a web page, for presentation, which requests identifying information sufficient to authorize reporting, to the consumer, credit history events for the consumer; authenticating the identity of the consumer based on the personally identifying information; determining whether the personally identifying information is sufficient to authorize reporting of credit history events for the consumer; and in response to determining that the personally identifying information is not sufficient to authorize reporting of credit history events for the consumer, enrolling the consumer in a first type of credit monitoring service, wherein the first type of credit monitoring service provides the consumer with basic information related to events in the consumer'"'"'s credit history, or in response to determining that the personally identifying information is sufficient to authorize reporting of credit history events for the consumer, enrolling the consumer in a second type of credit monitoring service, wherein the second type of credit monitoring service provides the consumer with basic information and detailed information related to events in the consumer'"'"'s credit history; identifying, for transmission as an alert message to the user computing device, an event in the consumer'"'"'s credit history based on a periodic monitoring of the consumer'"'"'s credit history accessed from a credit bureau, wherein more, or less, unique events are identified for transmission based on a sufficiency of the personally identifying information to authorize reporting of the credit history events to the consumer; in response to identifying the event in the consumer'"'"'s credit history, generating an alert message related to the identified event to send to the consumer, wherein generating the alert message comprises; determining the type of credit monitoring service in which the consumer is enrolled; in response to determining that the consumer is enrolled in the first type of credit monitoring service; generating the alert message, wherein the alert message includes basic information relating to the identified event in the consumer'"'"'s credit history; and providing an option for the consumer to enroll in the second type of credit monitoring service in order to access detailed information related to the identified event;
orin response to determining that the consumer is enrolled in the second type of credit monitoring service, generating the alert message, wherein the alert message includes the basic information relating to the identified event and the detailed information relating to the identified event; and transmitting the alert message to the user computing device, wherein the alert message activates an application on the user computing device to cause the alert message to display; and the user computing device comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable code, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user computing device to perform operations comprising; in response to receiving user input of the consumer, providing, to the first system, the request to enroll in the credit monitoring service, the request including personally identifying information; receiving, from the first system, the alert message related to the identified event.
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22. A method comprising:
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maintaining one or more authorization rules configured to determine whether consumers have completed enrollment in a credit monitoring service by providing respective sets of personally identifying information sufficient to authorize reporting of credit history; obtaining, by a computer system comprising a processor, information identifying a consumer that interacted with a web page associated with a merchant or commercial entity, the information comprising at least a subset of the personally identifying information sufficient to authorize reporting of credit events of the consumer; obtaining, from the consumer, an indication of a significant credit event selected from a plurality of credit events including new credit line inquiry, change of address, account reported for collection, and payment towards an account; identifying, using the obtained information, one of the plurality of credit events in the consumer'"'"'s credit data based on periodic monitoring of the consumer'"'"'s credit data accessed from a credit bureau; determining whether the credit event is the significant credit event identified by the user; and in response to determining that the identified credit event is the significant credit event, transmitting an alert message to the consumer comprising detailed information relating to the identified credit event, or in response to determining that the identified credit event is not the significant credit event, transmitting an alert message to the consumer comprising only a portion of detailed information relating to the identified credit event, wherein the alert message activates an application on a user computing device of the consumer to cause the alert message to display the alert message including a link to an internet-accessible page including detailed information regarding the identified credit event. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification