ACCOUNT ACTIVITY ALERT

• US 20100241535A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nightengale, Brad, Stan, Pat, Rowberry, Sharon
• Application Number:
  US12/726,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

An alert recipient receives an account alert after an account activity satisfies criteria of an alert rule. The account alert may be triggered by the usage of a consumer identifier with any of: an application for a new account, an account activation request, or an account usage. To illustrate, a fraudster may utilize the consumer identifier in an application to open a new account, to activate an issued prepaid account, or conduct a transaction on an activated issued prepaid account. Data from the account application, activation, or transaction may be sent to a host that compares the data against the criteria of an alert rule. If the criterion is satisfied, the account alert is sent to the account recipient. The account recipient may required to respond to the alert in order to permit the activity that is the subject of the account alert.

Claims

1. Any method performed by hardware executing software to activate an issued prepaid account for which a Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) for a consumer is offered to be associated, wherein the GUID matches an electronically stored said GUID having associated therewith a plurality of logical addresses, and wherein the prepaid account is activated only after an electronic response is received from each said logical address to which an electronic request sent, and wherein each said received electronic response includes information corresponding to an approval of the activation of the prepaid account so as to be associated with the stored said GUID.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored said GUID is one of a plurality of said GUID each of which having corresponding said logical addresses, and wherein the method further comprises, prior to activating the prepaid account, matching the GUID for the issued prepaid account against the stored plurality of said GUIDs.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein each said logical address is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone number, electronic mail (e-mail) address, facsimile number, file transport protocol address, Universal Resource Locator address (URL), a World Wide Web address, an Internet address, and combinations of the foregoing.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the stored said GUID is a type selected from the group consisting of a tax identification number for a business, a social security number, a passport identification number, a government issued identifier, a drivers license number, a biological metric identifier, and combinations of the foregoing.

5. A method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

receiving a Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID);

accessing a network device storing for each of a plurality of consumers;

one said GUID uniquely identifying the consumer from other said consumers; and

a plurality of logical addresses, wherein;

an electronic request message can be sent for delivery to each said logical address; and

an electronic response message can be received in response to the electronic request message from each said logical address;

and

if the received GUID has a match in the GUIDs stored in the network device;

transmitting the electronic request message, for delivery to each said logical address corresponding to the matching said GUID, wherein the electronic request message includes a request to activate an issued and unfunded prepaid account;

upon receipt of the electronic response message from each said logical address corresponding to the matching said GUID, wherein the electronic response message includes information corresponding to an approval of the request to activate the issued and unfunded prepaid account, transmitting an approval to activate the issued and unfunded prepaid account so as to be associated with the received GUID.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein:

each said logical address is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone number, electronic mail (e-mail) address, facsimile number, file transport protocol address, Universal Resource Locator address (URL), a World Wide Web address, an Internet address, and combinations of the foregoing; and

each said GUID is a type selected from the group consisting of a tax identification number for a business, a social security number, a passport identification number, a government issued identifier, a drivers license number, a biological metric identifier, and combinations of the foregoing.

7. An non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, the computing apparatus performs the method defined in claim 5.

8. A method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

receiving an identifier;

for an activated prepaid account; and

a currency amount to be funded into the activated prepaid account;

determining whether the currency account exceeds a predetermined threshold, if so, then;

accessing a network device storing for each of a plurality of consumers;

a Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) uniquely identifying the consumer from other said consumers;

an identifier for one or more said activated prepaid accounts; and

a plurality of logical addresses, wherein;

an electronic request message can be sent for delivery to each said logical address; and

an electronic response message can be received in response to the electronic request message from each said logical address;

if the received identifier for the activated prepaid account has a corresponding said GUID stored in the network device;

transmitting the electronic request message, for delivery to each said logical address corresponding to the matching said GUID, wherein the electronic request message includes a request to fund the activated prepaid account in excess of the predetermined threshold;

upon receipt of the electronic response message from each said logical address corresponding to the matching said GUID, wherein the electronic response message includes information corresponding to an approval of the request to fund the activated prepaid account in excess of the predetermined threshold, transmitting an approval to fund the activated prepaid account with the currency amount.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein:

each said logical address is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone number, electronic mail (e-mail) address, facsimile number, file transport protocol address, Universal Resource Locator address (URL), a World Wide Web address, an Internet address, and combinations of the foregoing; and

each said GUID is a type selected from the group consisting of a tax identification number for a business, a social security number, a passport identification number, a government issued identifier, a drivers license number, a biological metric identifier, and combinations of the foregoing.

10. An non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, the computing apparatus performs the method defined in claim 8.

11. A method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

receiving an identifier;

for an activated prepaid account;

a currency amount to be funded into the activated prepaid account;

determining whether the currency account exceeds a predetermined threshold, if so, then;

accessing a network device storing for each of a plurality of consumers;

a Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) uniquely identifying the consumer from other said consumers;

an identifier for one or more said activated prepaid accounts; and

a logical address;

to which an electronic request message can be sent for delivery; and

from which an electronic response message can be received in response to the electronic request message;

and

if the received identifier for the activated prepaid account has a corresponding said GUID stored in the network device;

transmitting the electronic request message, for delivery to the logical address corresponding to the matching said GUID, wherein the electronic request message includes a request to fund the activated prepaid account in excess of the predetermined threshold;

and

upon receipt of the electronic response message from the logical address corresponding to the matching said GUID, wherein the electronic response message includes the matching said GUID, transmitting an approval to fund the activated prepaid account with the currency amount.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein each said logical address is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone number, electronic mail (e-mail) address, facsimile number, file transport protocol address, Universal Resource Locator address (URL), a World Wide Web address, an Internet address, and combinations of the foregoing;

13. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein each said GUID is a type selected from the group consisting of a tax identification number for a business, a social security number, a passport identification number, a government issued identifier, a drivers license number, a biological metric identifier, and combinations of the foregoing.

14. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the step of determining of whether the currency account exceeds the predetermined threshold further comprises a determination that the currency amount, in addition to previously received other currency amounts within a predetermined time period, cumulatively exceeds the predetermined threshold.

15. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the step of determining of whether the currency account exceeds the predetermined threshold further comprises a determination that the currency amount neither exceeds nor less than a specific currency amount by the predetermined threshold.

16. An non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, the computing apparatus performs the method defined in claim 11.

17. A method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

receiving transaction data identifying an item being purchased from a merchant at a location in a transaction being conducted on an activated prepaid account;

accessing a network device storing for each of a plurality of consumers;

an identifier for each of one or more said activated prepaid accounts;

identifiers for one or more said items, one or more said merchants, and one of more said locations;

a Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) uniquely identifying the consumer from other said consumers;

and

a logical address;

to which an electronic request message can be sent for delivery; and

from which an electronic response message can be received in response to the electronic request message;

if the activated prepaid account that is in the received transaction data has a match in the activated prepaid accounts stored in the network device;

then

if the item, the merchant, or the location identified in the received transaction data has a match in corresponding any said identifier stored in the network device for the one or more said items, for the one or more said merchants, or for the one of more said locations, then;

transmitting the electronic request message, for delivery to the logical address corresponding to the GUID corresponding to the matching said activated prepaid account, wherein the electronic request message includes a request to approve the purchase;

and

upon receipt of the electronic response message from the logical address corresponding to the GUID corresponding to the matching said activated prepaid account, wherein the electronic response message includes the GUID corresponding to the matching said activated prepaid account, transmitting an approval of the purchase.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein each said logical address is selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone number, an electronic mail (e-mail) address, a facsimile number, a file transport protocol address, a Universal Resource Locator address (URL), a World Wide Web address, an Internet address, and combinations of the foregoing.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein each said GUID is a type selected from the group consisting of a tax identification number for a business, a social security number, a passport identification number, a government issued identifier, a drivers license number, a biological metric identifier, and combinations of the foregoing.

20. An non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, the computing apparatus performs the method defined in claim 17.