Automatic notification of irregular activity

• US 7,493,281 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Ye, Mei, Vogel, Inna
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US11/158,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/1, 705/37, 705/35, 705/22
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving item data at a network-based transaction facility, the item data related to an item categorized in at least a first category of a plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility and including an item price-based value associated with the item. A category-specific threshold price-based value, for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility, is automatically determined. The item data is automatically determined to the irregular, based on the item price-based value associated with the item and the category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility. Responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, an electronic message is automatically communicated to an entity associated with the item.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method including:

receiving item data at a network-based transaction facility, the item data related to an item categorized in at least a first category of a plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility and including an item price-based value associated with the item;

automatically determining a category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility;

automatically determining that the item data is irregular, based on the item price-based value associated with the item and the category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility; and

responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, automatically communicating an electronic message to an entity associated with the item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the automatic communication of the electronic message includes sending an email message to at least one of a seller and a buyer for the item, the e-mail message being automatically sent to an address associated with at least one of the buyer and the seller.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, including unsetting the irregular item flag for the item data if the item data is subsequently found to be legitimate.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including, responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, automatically setting an irregular item flag for the item data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including converting the item price-based value associated with the item from a first currency to a second currency, wherein the second currency is a currency of the category-specific threshold price-based value.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the item price-based value is a selling price of the item.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including, responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular:

storing a user identifier for the entity associated with the item in an irregular user database; and

restricting the entity associated with the item from using the network-based transaction facility.

8. A machine-readable storage medium containing executable instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A system including:

means for receiving item data at a network-based transaction facility, the item data related to an item categorized in at least a first category of a plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility and including an item price-based value associated with the item;

means for automatically determining a category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility;

means for automatically determining that the item data is irregular, based on the item price-based value associated with the item and the category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility; and

means, responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, for automatically communicating an electronic message to an entity associated with the item.

10. A system including;

a database to receive and store item data, the item data related to an item categorized in at least a first category of a plurality of categories of a network-based transaction facility and including an item price-based value associated with the item;

a database engine server including an irregular activity monitoring system, wherein the irregular activity monitoring system is automatically to;

determine a category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility;

determine that the item data is irregular, based on the item price-based value associated with the item and the category-specific threshold price-based value for the first category of the plurality of categories of the network-based transaction facility; and

responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, automatically communicate an electronic message to an entity associated with the item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the irregular activity monitoring system is automatically to send an email message to at least one of a seller and a buyer for the item, the e-mail message being automatically sent to an address associated the at least one of the buyer and the seller.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the irregular activity monitoring system, responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, is automatically to set an irregular item flag for the item data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the irregular activity monitoring system is to unset the irregular item flag for the item data if the item data is subsequently found to be legitimate.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the irregular activity monitoring system is to convert the item price-based value associated with the item from a first currency to a second currency, wherein the second currency is a currency of the category-specific threshold price-based value.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the item price-based value includes a selling price of the item.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the irregular activity monitoring system, responsive to the determination that the item data is irregular, is to:

store a user identifier for the entity associated with the item in an irregular user database; and

restrict the entity associated with the item from using the network-based transaction facility.