FRAUD PREVENTION TECHNIQUES

• US 20100130172A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Shmunis, Vladimir, Young, Bruce, Shah, Praful, Vendrow, Vlad, Elpiner, Boris
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• 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

Abstract

System, apparatus, computer program products and methods for preventing fraud attacks (e.g., on a virtual PBX service provider) are disclosed. In some implementations, a set of fraud evaluation processes are performed, an overall fraud evaluation score is incremented as each of the set of fraud evaluation processes are performed and a step result is obtained. A user request (e.g., account activation) can be denied or accepted based on the overall fraud evaluation score. In some implementations, the set of fraud evaluation processes can include one or more of: an internal fraud evaluation process, a process for checking multiple trial accounts associated with a common account parameter, a process for geolocation verification of multiple account parameters, a process for device type verification for a contact phone number, a process for credit card verification, and a process for placing a contact number verification call.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a service request from a mobile device associated with a service account;

validating the service request using one or more fraud evaluation processes;

obtaining a fraud evaluation result for each fraud evaluation process;

identifying a score based on the fraud evaluation result; and

evaluating the service request based on the score.

2. The method of claim 1, where identifying the score includes combining the score associated with each fraud evaluation process to generate a combined score.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating an overall fraud evaluation score based on the combined score,

where evaluating the service request includes evaluating the service request based on the overall fraud evaluation score.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an initial overall fraud evaluation score; and

incrementing the initial overall fraud evaluation score based on the identified score associated with the fraud evaluation result as each fraud evaluation process is executed,

where evaluating the service request includes evaluating the service request based on the incremented overall fraud evaluation score.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising fulfilling the service request if the evaluation indicates a legitimacy of the service request.

6. The method of claim 5, where fulfilling the service request includes:

performing account provisioning for the service account including enabling one or more telecommunications services on the mobile device associated with the service account.

7. The method of claim 5, where validating the service request is performed before fulfilling the service request.

8. The method of claim 1, where receiving the service request includes identifying a parameter in the service request;

and

where validating the service request includes;

forwarding the parameter to a data analyzer; and

receiving, from the data analyzer, an analysis result associated with analyzing the parameter including comparing the parameter against one or more listed parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, where receiving the service request includes receiving an activation request to activate the service account.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising denying the activation request if the evaluation indicates the service account is fraudulent.

11. The method of claim 1, where receiving the service request includes receiving a notification of a change of one or more account parameters associated with the service account,

where validating the service request includes executing at least one fraud evaluation process in response to the notification.

12. The method of claim 1, where validating the service request includes executing a first fraud evaluation process and a second fraud evaluation process, the method further comprising:

prioritizing each of the first and second fraud evaluation processes based on a predetermined criterion, and

executing the second fraud evaluation process only if an execution result associated with executing the first fraud evaluation process does not meet the predetermined criterion.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more listed parameters internally from known fraudulent accounts,

where validating the service request includes identifying a likelihood of the service request as fraudulent based on the one or more identified listed parameters.

14. The method of claim 1, where validating the service request includes comparing a common account parameter associated with the service account and one or more additional service accounts;

where obtaining the fraud evaluation result includes identifying a relationship between the service account and the one or more additional service accounts based on the comparison; and

where identifying the score includes identifying the score based on the identified relationship.

15. The method of claim 1, where validating the service request includes checking for one or more failed account signups associated with an account parameter common to the service account.

16. The method of claim 1, where validating the service request includes verifying an identity of an account user associated with the service account.

17. The method of claim 16, where verifying the identity of the account user includes:

establishing a communication with the mobile device;

sending a first verification code to the mobile device using the established communication;

receiving a second verification code through an interface displayed on the mobile device; and

verifying the identity of the account user based on the first verification code and the second verification code.

18. The method of claim 17, where establishing the communication includes one of placing a call to the mobile device or sending one or more messages to the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 17, where verifying the identity of the account user includes verifying at least one of a phone number, a credit card, a device type associated with the phone number, a serial number associated with the mobile device, and a consistency between account parameters associated with the service account.

20. A device comprising:

a service manager configured to communicate with a mobile device associated with a service account, the service manager including a fraud prevention manager to;

receive a service request from a service account associated with the mobile device;

validate the service request using one or more fraud evaluation processes;

obtain a fraud evaluation result for each fraud evaluation process;

identify a score based on the fraud evaluation result; and

evaluate the service request based on the score.

21. The device of claim 20, where the service manager is configured to fulfill the service request if the fraud prevention manager determines a legitimacy of the service request based on the evaluation.

22. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

an activation manager to perform account activation to activate the service account after the service request is evaluated; and

a provisioning manager to provision one or more telecommunications services to the mobile device associated with the service account upon account activation.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a validation manager to validate successful account activation and provisioning of the one or more telecommunications services enabled on the mobile device.

24. The device of claim 20, where the service manager is configured to receive user data through an interface displayed on the mobile device.

25. The device of claim 20, where the service request includes one of an account data modification request or account activation request.

26. The device of claim 20, where the fraud prevention manager validates the service request before the service account is activated.

27. The device of claim 20, where at least one fraud evaluation process includes verifying an identity of the account user associated with the service account.

28. The device of claim 20, where the fraud prevention manager verifies the identity of the account user by:

establishing a communication with the mobile device;

sending a first verification code to the mobile device using the established communication;

receiving a second verification code through an interface displayed on the mobile device; and

verifying the identity of the account user based on the first verification code and the second verification code.

29. The device of claim 28, where the fraud prevention manager establishes the communication by either placing a call to the mobile device or sending one or more messages to the mobile device.

30. A system comprising:

a mobile device configured to submit one or more service requests for enabling one or more telecommunications services on the mobile device;

a database to store configuration data associated with the mobile device; and

a control manager to communicate with the mobile device, the control manager including a service manager to;

receive the one or more service requests;

identify one or more fraudulent evaluation processes;

validate the one or more service requests using the one or more identified fraudulent evaluation processes; and

enable the one or more telecommunications services on the mobile device upon validation.