METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATING CUSTOMER IDENTITIES

• US 20090198587A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wagner, Theresa, Pinkerton, Peggy
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• 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: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

This disclosure describes, generally, methods and systems for authenticating the identities of customers. For example, a method comprising receiving a service request from a customer and retrieving customer profile information related to the customer is described. The method further comprises generating questions based on the customer profile information and receiving answers to the questions from the customer. Furthermore, the method comprises analyzing the answers by comparing the answers with the customer profile information and calculating an authentication score based on the analysis of the answers. The method further authenticates the customer based on the authentication score being greater than a threshold score level.

Claims

1. A method for automated authentication of a customer'"'"'s identity, the method comprising:

receiving a service request from a customer;

retrieving customer profile information related to the customer;

generating a first plurality of questions based on the customer profile information;

receiving a first plurality of answers to the first plurality of questions from the customer;

automatically analyzing the first plurality of answers by comparing the first plurality of answers with the customer profile information;

calculating a first authentication score based on the analysis of the first plurality of answers; and

authenticating the customer if the first authentication score is within an acceptable range.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the customer with a second plurality of questions based on the first authentication score being less than the threshold score level;

receiving a second plurality of answers to the second plurality of questions from the customer;

analyzing the second plurality of questions by comparing the second plurality of answers with the customer profile information;

calculating a second authentication score based on a combination of the first authentication and the analysis of the second plurality of questions; and

authenticating the customer based on the second authentication score being greater than the threshold score level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rejecting the service request from the customer based on the first authentication score being less than the threshold score level.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rejecting the service request from the customer based on the second authentication score being less than the threshold score level.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

processing the customer profile information to demographically categorize the customer; and

customizing the first and second plurality of questions based on the demographic categorization of the customer.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second plurality of questions comprise open-ended questions.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second plurality of questions have question types associated with each question.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the question types are based on at least one of consumer questions, family relation questions, address history questions, vehicle questions, real estate questions, and business questions.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

tracking the question types associated with each question; and

tracking an average score for each question type.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a question rating report for each question type based on the average score of each question type; and

presenting higher rated questions to the customer based on the report.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request includes an associated service request type.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether authentication is required based on the service request type associated with the service request.

13. A system for authentication of a customer'"'"'s identity, the system comprising:

a question database configured to store a plurality of authentication questions;

a customer database configured to store customer profile data; and

a processing center coupled to the question database and the customer database configured to;

receive a service request from a customer;

retrieve customer profile data related to the customer from the customer database;

retrieve a first plurality of questions from the question database based on the customer profile data;

present the first plurality of questions to the customer;

receive a first plurality of answers to the first plurality of questions;

automatically analyze the first plurality of answers by comparing the first plurality of answers with the customer profile information;

calculate a first authentication score based on the analysis of the first plurality of answers; and

authenticate the customer based on the first authentication score being greater than a threshold score level.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing center is further configured to:

retrieve a second plurality of questions from the question database based on the first authentication score being less than the threshold score level;

present the second plurality of questions to the customer;

receive a second plurality of answers to the second plurality of questions from the customer;

analyze the second plurality of questions by comparing the second plurality of answers with the customer profile information;

calculate a second authentication score based on a combination of the first authentication and the analysis of the second plurality of questions; and

authenticate the customer based on the second authentication score being greater than the threshold score level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing center is further configured to reject the customer based on the second authentication score being less than the authentication score level.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system configured to transmit the first and second pluralities of questions to the customer;

and to receive the first and second pluralities of answers from the customer.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a tracking and reporting system configured to track question types associated with each question to the customer, to track an average score for each question type, and to generate a question rating report for each question type based on the average score of each question type.

18. A machine-readable medium including sets of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive a service request from a customer;

retrieve customer profile information related to the customer;

generate a first plurality of questions based on the customer profile information;

receive a first plurality of answers to the first plurality of questions from the customer;

automatically analyze the first plurality of answers by comparing the first plurality of answers with the customer profile information;

calculate a first authentication score based on the analysis of the first plurality of answers; and

authenticate the customer based on the first authentication score being greater than a threshold score level.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the sets of instructions which, when further executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

present the customer with a second plurality of questions based on the first authentication score being less than the threshold score level;

receive a second plurality of answers to the second plurality of questions from the customer;

analyze the second plurality of questions by comparing the second plurality of answers with the customer profile information;

calculate a second authentication score based on a combination of the first authentication and the analysis of the second plurality of questions; and

authenticate the customer based on the second authentication score being greater than the threshold score level.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the sets of instructions which, when further executed by a machine, cause the machine to reject the service request from the customer based on the first authentication score being less than the threshold score level.