Phone fraud deterrence system for use with toll free and other fee generating numbers

• US 10,212,266 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DialogTech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DialogTech, Inc.
• Inventors: Shapiro, Irvin, Lemoine, Austin, Seguin, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Kharye
• Application Number:
  US14/641,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,445 Days
• Field of Search: 37926509, 37926501, 37926607, 379189, 37911414, 37912702, 379 8801, 455410, 455411, 455415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6027 Fraud preventions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6072 Authentication using challenger response
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/18 Automated outdialling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

An automated method for determining the validity of an incoming phone call including receiving an incoming phone call, activating a controller in response to receipt of the incoming phone call, wherein the controller generates a multi-digit code in response to the receipt of the incoming call, outputs an audible version of the multi-digit code to a caller for the incoming call, requests the caller to input the multi-digit code, compares the multi-digit code with a caller input, determines the call is invalid in response to a mismatch between the multi-digit code and the caller input, and terminates the phone call.

Claims

1. An automated method for determining the validity of an incoming phone call, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming phone call;

activating a controller in response to receipt of the incoming phone call, the controller generating a multi-digit code in response to the receipt of the incoming call, outputting an audible version of the multi-digit code to a caller for the incoming call, requesting the caller to input the multi-digit code, comparing the multi-digit code with a caller input, determining the call is invalid in response to a mismatch between the multi-digit code and the caller input, and terminating the phone call,

further comprising listing the directory number of the invalid call in a directory of calls that should not be accepted for further processing,

wherein the multi-digit code is a combination of letters forming a word, wherein the controller audibly outputs the word to the caller and instructs the caller to spell the word in his keypad using the numbers in his keypad,

wherein the combination of letters forming a word includes at least one letter that has at least two pronunciations increasing the level of cognition analysis by the caller, and

wherein the at least one letter has a pronunciation that changes based on the word in which it is included.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the controller

determining the call is valid in response to a match between multi-digit code and the caller input;

and

processing the valid call with an internal voice recognition system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the valid call comprises transferring the call to an interactive voice response (IVR) call menu, call center, or call operator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a multi-digit code further comprises generating specific digits randomly, pseudo-randomly, or from a secure data pool.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the directory of calls for a telephone number corresponding to an incoming call; and

declining the call in response to finding the incoming call number listed in the directory of calls.

4. An automated method for determining the validity of an incoming phone call, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming phone call;

activating a controller in response to receipt of the incoming phone call, the controller generating a multi-digit code in response to the receipt of the incoming call, outputting an audible version of the multi-digit code to a caller for the incoming call, requesting the caller to input the multi-digit code, comparing the multi-digit code with a caller input, determining the call is invalid in response to a mis-match between the multi-digit code and the caller input, and terminating the phone call, and

wherein audibly outputting the multi-digit code further comprises audibly outputting a combination of numbers, wherein each number in the combination is individually relayed, compared, and matched, before the next number is relayed, compared, and matched.

7. A telecommunications system for determining the validity of incoming phone calls, the system comprising:

a controller that identifies an incoming call, generates a multi-digit code and audibly outputs the multi-digit code to a caller placing the incoming call along with audible instructions requesting the caller to input the multi-digit code,

wherein the controller compares a caller input in response to the audible instructions with the multi-digit code, determines the call is invalid in response to a mis-match between the multi-digit code and the caller input, and terminates the invalid call, and

further comprising a directory of calls to not be accepted for further processing, wherein the controller adds the incoming telephone number to the directory when the call is identified as invalid,

wherein the multi-digit code is a combination of letters forming a word, wherein the controller audibly outputs the word to the caller and instructs the caller to spell the word in his keypad using the numbers in his keypad,

wherein the combination of letters forming a word includes at least one letter that has at least two pronunciations increasing the level of cognition analysis by the caller, and

wherein the at least one letter has a pronunciation that changes based on the word in which it is included.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a voice recognition system, wherein the controller determines the call is valid in response to the caller input matching the multi-digit code, and wherein an internal voice recognition system processes the valid call.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the internal voice recognition system transfers the call to a call menu, call center, or call operator.

10. The system claim 7, wherein the multi-digit code further comprises a combination of numbers, wherein the controller is configured to relay, compare, and match each number in the combination individually before the next number in the combination is relayed, compared, and matched.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to generate the multi-digit code by generating specific digits randomly, pseudo-randomly, or from a secure data pool.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to search the directory of calls for a telephone number corresponding to an incoming call, and decline the call in response to finding telephone number listed in the directory of calls.