Method and system for detecting identify theft in non-personal and personal transactions

• US 20050021476A1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraud-Check Incorporated
• Original Assignee: George J. Candella, Jeremy Cass, Keith Kelland
• Inventors: Kelland, Keith, Cass, Jeremy, Candella, George J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

A method and system of detecting identity theft is disclosed. The method and system includes receiving identity data, the identity data including at least an address. Then, the address is compared to an external address database to determine whether the address is potentially fraudulent. The address is checked against a known fraud address table database to determine whether the address is fraudulent. The address may also be checked against a known good address table database to determine whether the address is potentially fraudulent. At least one database is queried for available incidental data associated with the address. And, a user is asked a question based upon the incidental data retrieved from the database, whereby the identity of the user is verified.

Claims

1. A method of detecting identity theft comprising the steps of:

receiving identity data, the identity data including at least an address;

comparing the address to an external address database to determine whether the address is potentially fraudulent;

checking the address against a known fraud address table database to determine whether the address is fraudulent;

checking the address against a known good address table database to determine whether the address is potentially fraudulent;

querying at least one database for available incidental data associated with the address; and

asking a user a question based upon the incidental data retrieved from the database, whereby verifying the identity of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of determining whether the user has answered the question correctly within a preselected period of time.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of selecting a preselected number of correct responses to the question and a preselected number of incorrect responses to the question;

and

presenting both the correct and incorrect questions to the user.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of tracking the amount of time it takes the user to answer the question.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of determining whether the method involves a security check and transmitting data to a government watch list if it is a security check.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of determining whether the identity data is transmitted via a global computer network.