System and method for identity protection using mobile device signaling network derived location pattern recognition

• US 10,776,791 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2019
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, William M., Snyder, Randall A., Miller, Devin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US16/415,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20190272544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and server computer for recognizing patterns in wireless device locations using wireless device location data derived from a communications signaling network is provided. By using wireless network supported signaling operations and messages, data including information regarding the subscriber, the subscriber'"'"'s device, and/or the subscriber'"'"'s service may be statistically analyzed to reveal potential patterns that may indicate meaningful behaviors of the purported users of those devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, from one or more location registers, data including i) a manufacturer of an electronic device in communication with the one or more location registers, ii) an indication of whether a subscription service utilized by an entity corresponding to the electronic device is pre-paid or post-paid, iii) a length of time that the entity has been utilizing the subscription service, and iv) at least one of an age or a frequency of changes made by the entity to entity registration information associated with the entity;

generating a pattern value indicating a likelihood of fraudulent activity, the pattern value being calculated utilizing i) the manufacturer of the electronic device, ii) the indication of whether the subscription service is pre-paid or post-paid, iii) the length of time that the entity has been utilizing the subscription service, and iv) the at least one of the age or the frequency of the changes made by the entity to the entity registration information; and

providing the pattern value indicating the likelihood of fraudulent activity to a transaction entity, wherein receipt of the pattern value by the transaction entity causes the transaction entity to perform one or more subsequent actions with respect to an electronic activity of interest, the electronic activity of interest being associated with the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes an association between a directory number of the electronic device and a service provider of the subscription service, and wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a duration of the association between the directory number and the service provider of the subscription service, wherein the pattern value is generated further utilizing the duration of the association between the directory number and the service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a directory number associated with the electronic device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, utilizing the data obtained from the one or more location registers, a duration of an association between the directory number and the entity associated with the electronic device, wherein the pattern value is generated further utilizing the duration of the association between the directory number and the entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes historical subscription service providers, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, from the data, a number of changes in subscription service providers, wherein the pattern value is generated further utilizing the number of changes in the subscription service providers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes at least one of:

a country code identifier, a national destination code identifier, or a mobile network code identifier, and wherein the patter value is generated further based at least in part on at least one of the country code identifier, the national destination code identifier, or the mobile network code identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a state of the electronic device, and wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the state of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further includes a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the subscription service, and wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the service provider identifier associated with the service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising calculating a number of modifications made to the entity'"'"'s registration information, wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the number of modifications made to the entity'"'"'s registration information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, from the one or more location registers, a location of the electronic device, wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the location of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern value is generated based at least in part on provided the data as input to a statistical correlation algorithm.

11. A server computer comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the server computer to;

obtain, from one or more location registers, data including i) a manufacturer of an electronic device in communication with the one or more location registers, ii) an indication of whether a subscription service utilized by an entity corresponding to the electronic device is pre-paid or post-paid, iii) a length of time that the entity has been utilizing the subscription service, and iv) at least one of an age or a frequency of changes made by the entity to entity registration information associated with the entity;

generate a pattern value indicating a likelihood of fraudulent activity, the pattern value being calculated utilizing i) the manufacturer of the electronic device, ii) the indication of whether the subscription service is pre-paid or post-paid, iii) the length of time that the entity has been utilizing the subscription service, and iv) the at least one of the age or the frequency of the changes made by the entity to the entity registration information; and

provide the pattern value indicating the likelihood of fraudulent activity to a transaction entity, wherein receipt of the pattern value by the transaction entity causes the transaction entity to perform one or more subsequent actions with respect to an electronic activity of interest, the electronic activity of interest being associated with the electronic device.

12. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the data further includes an association between a directory number of the electronic device and a service provider of the subscription service, and wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the server computer to:

calculate a duration of the association between the directory number and the service provider of the subscription service, wherein the pattern value is generated further utilizing the duration of the association between the directory number and the service provider.

13. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a directory number associated with the electronic device, and wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the server computer to:

determine, utilizing the data obtained from the one or more location registers, a duration of an association between the directory number and the entity associated with the electronic device, wherein the pattern value is generated further utilizing the duration of the association between the directory number and the entity.

14. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the data further includes historical subscription service providers, and wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the server computer to:

determine a number of changes in subscription service providers, wherein the pattern value is generated further utilizing the number of changes in the subscription service providers.

15. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the data further includes at least one of:

a country code identifier, a national destination code identifier, or a mobile network code identifier, and wherein the patter value is generated further based at least in part on at least one of the country code identifier, the national destination code identifier, or the mobile network code identifier.

16. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a state of the electronic device, and wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the state of the electronic device.

17. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the data further includes a provider identifier associated with a service provider of the subscription service, and wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the provider identifier associated with the service provider.

18. The server computer of claim 11, wherein execution of the computer executable instructions further cause the server computer to calculate a number of modifications made to the entity'"'"'s registration information, wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the number of modifications made to the entity'"'"'s registration information.

19. The server computer of claim 11, wherein execution of the computer executable instructions further causes the server computer to:

obtain, from the one or more location registers, a location of the electronic device, wherein the pattern value is generated further based on the location of the electronic device.

20. The server computer of claim 11, wherein the pattern value is generated based at least in part on provided the data as input to a statistical correlation algorithm.