Method, apparatus, and computer readable media for minimizing the risk of fraudulent receipt of telephone calls

• US 6,804,331 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Pettay, Mark J., Vacek, Jill M., Rilantono, Hendryanto, Akhwand, Mahmood S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US10/156,444
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.04, 379/88.02, 379/88.04, 379/88.03, 704/273, 704/275
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for minimizing the risk of fraudulent receipt of telephone calls. The invention described herein provides a method of minimizing fraudulent receipt of telephone calls, with the method including at least the following. One or more authenticated voice samples are associated with at least one person. The person then submits at least one test voice sample during a login process to obtain authorization to receive telephone calls. This test voice samples is captured and the differences between the test voice sample and the one or more authenticated voice samples is quantified. Depending on the degree difference between the at least one authenticated voice sample and the test voice sample, the person'"'"'s request for authorization to receive telephone calls or training is dispositioned. Apparatus and computer-readable media to realize the above function are also provided herein.

Claims

1. A method of minimizing fraudulent receipt of telephone calls, the method comprising at least the following:

capturing at least one authenticated voice sample of at least one person;

capturing at least one test voice sample of the at least one person when the at least one person is submitting a request for one of training and authorization to receive at least one of the telephone calls;

quantifying a difference between the at least one authenticated voice sample and the at least one test voice sample, including defining a first and at least a second threshold value for the difference between the authenticated voice sample and the test voice sample; and

dispositioning the request by automatically rejecting the request and sending an e-mail notification to at least one live supervisor if the difference is more than the at least second threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the at least one authenticated voice sample is performed when the at least one person submits an application for a position as a teleservices agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the at least one authenticated voice sample includes capturing a first and at least a second authenticated voice sample of the at least one person.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein capturing at least one authenticated voice sample includes capturing the first authenticated voice sample at the time of an initial human resources interview with the at least one person and capturing the at least second authenticated voice sample is performed at a training session involving the at least one person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing at least one test voice sample is performed when the at least one person submits a request to access a computerized system to receive telephone calls processed by the computerized system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing at least one test voice sample is performed during a log-on process during which a teleservices agent requests to access resources of a call center from a location remote from the call center.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the e-mail notification to the at least one supervisor includes sending an e-mail notification identifying the at least one person.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein quantifying a difference is performed by a voice authentication engine.

9. Apparatus for minimizing fraudulent receipt of telephone calls, the apparatus comprising at least the following:

means for capturing at least one authenticated voice sample of at least one person;

means for capturing at least one test voice sample of the at least one person when the at least one person is submitting a request for one of training and authorization to receive at least one of the telephone calls;

means for quantifying a difference between the at least one authenticated voice sample and the at least one test voice sample, including defining a first and at least a second threshold value for the difference between the authenticated voice sample and the test voice sample; and

means for dispositioning the request by automatically rejecting the request and sending an e-mail notification to at least one live supervisor if the difference is more than the at least second threshold value.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for capturing the at least one authenticated voice sample is adapted to capture the at least one authenticated voice sample when the at least one person submits an application for a position as a teleservices agent.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for capturing the at least one authenticated voice sample is adapted to capture a first and at least a second authenticated voice sample of the at least one person.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for capturing at least one authenticated voice sample is adapted to capture the first authenticated voice sample at the time of an initial human resources interview with the at least one person and to capture the at least second authenticated voice sample at a training session involving the at least one person.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for capturing at least one test voice sample is adapted to capture the at least one test voice sample when the at least one person submits a request to access a computerized system to receive telephone calls processed by the computerized system.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for capturing at least one test voice sample is adapted to capture the at least one test voice sample during a log-on process during which a teleservices agent requests to access resources of a call center from a location remote from the call center.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for sending the e-mail notification to the at least one supervisor is adapted to send an e-mail notification identifying the at least one person.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for quantifying a difference includes a voice authentication engine.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for minimizing fraudulent receipt of telephone calls, the method comprising at least the following:

capturing at least one authenticated voice sample of at least one person;

capturing at least one test voice sample of the at least one person when the at least one person is submitting a request for one of training and authorization to receive at least one of the telephone calls;

quantifying a difference between the at least one authenticated voice sample and the at least one test voice sample, including defining a first and at least a second threshold value for the difference between the authenticated voice sample and the test voice sample; and

dispositioning the request by automatically rejecting the request and sending an e-mail notification to at least one live supervisor if the difference is more than the at least second threshold value.

18. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 10, wherein capturing the at least one authenticated voice sample is performed when the at least one person submits an application for a position as a teleservices agent.

19. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 10, wherein capturing the at least one authenticated voice sample includes capturing a first and at least a second authenticated voice sample of the at least one person.

20. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 19, wherein capturing at least one authenticated voice sample includes capturing the first authenticated voice sample at the time of an initial human resources interview with the at least one person and capturing the at least second authenticated voice sample is performed at a training session involving the at least one person.

21. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 10, wherein capturing at least one test voice sample is performed when the at least one person submits a request to access a computerized system to receive telephone calls processed by the computerized system.

22. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 10, wherein capturing at least one test voice sample is performed during a log-on process during which a teleservices agent requests to access resources of a call center from a location remote from the call center.

23. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 10, wherein sending the e-mail notification to the at least one supervisor includes sending an e-mail notification identifying the at least one person.

24. The method performed by the program storage device of claim 10, wherein quantifying a difference is performed at least in part by a voice authentication engine.