Methods and systems for establishing an identity confidence database

• US 8,762,288 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Dill, Matthew Leland
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEIN, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US12/428,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/325
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety

Abstract

The invention provides various systems and methods for establishing an identity confidence scoring system. The method includes gathering identity information about the customers from physical locations and from remote locations. The method updates the identity profiles with the gathered identity information, and based on the gathered identity information, generates an identity confidence score associated with each identity profile.

Claims

1. A method of establishing an identity confidence score, the method comprising:

gathering, at a computer system, a first set of identity information about a customer from a physical location, wherein the first set of identify information is obtained from the customer in-person at the physical location by the customer presenting a physical form of identification to a representative of an entity associated with the physical location, wherein a type of physical location includes one or more of the following;

an agent location, a utility provider office, or a government office, and a type of physical form of identification includes one or more of the following;

a government identification or a utility bill;

gathering, at the computer system, a second set of identity information about the customer from a remote interaction, wherein the second set of identity information is obtained from the customer at the remote interaction by the customer presenting an electronic form of identification through an electronic medium, wherein a type of remote location includes one or more of the following;

a website, a mobile wallet transaction, a transaction from a portable device, or an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, and a type of electronic form of identification includes one or more of the following;

a photograph from the portable device, a telephone number, or an identification number, wherein the first and second set of identity information comprise;

form of identification, location of transaction, and type of transaction;

determining, at the computer system, a first reliability of the first set of identify information based on the location of the first transaction, the type of the first transaction and form of identification used in the first transaction;

determining, at the computer system, a second reliability of the second set of identify information based on the location of the second transaction, the type of the second transaction and form of identification used in the second transaction;

based on the first set of identity information being more reliable for identifying the customer than the second set of identity information, ranking, in real time, each of the first set of identify information and the second set of identify information, wherein the first set of identify information is ranked as a higher rate than the second set of identify information;

based on the first set of identity information and the second set of identity information, ranking, in real time, the new identity information, the first set of identity information, and the second set of identify information, each time that new identity information is gathered about the customer;

in response to the ranking of identity information for the customer, dynamically updating, at the computer system, an identity profile for the customer with the gathered ranked first set of identity information, second set of identity information, and the new identity information; and

based on the ranking of the gathered first set of identity information, second set of identity information, and the new identity information, generating, at the computer system, an identity confidence score associated with the customer, wherein the identity confidence score comprises an indication of an overall level of confidence in the identity of the customer, wherein the overall level of confidence is based on an aggregation of the rankings of the first set of identity information, the second set of identity information, and the new identity information in order to provide confidence in the identity of the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the customer'"'"'s identity score based on a positive identity transaction; and

decreasing the customer'"'"'s identity score based on a negative identity transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a positive identity transaction includes one or more of the following:

a successful ID check, a non-fraudulent transaction, and a successful ID verification.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a negative identity transaction includes one or more of the following:

a fraudulent transaction, a charge-back, and an unsuccessful ID verification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical locations include one or more of the following locations:

a branch office, a bank office, a mobile service provider, and an agent location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile service provider provides service to mobile devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile devices include one or more of the following devices:

a cellular device, a portable device, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a smartphone.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using the cellular device of the plurality of customers for identification purposes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote interaction includes interacting with one or more of the following electronic mediums:

a mobile device interface, a website interface, and a telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity information includes one or more of the following:

home address, work address, first and last name, duration of time at the home address, and a type of identification.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering history information for the plurality of customers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the history information includes one or more of the following:

a number of transactions, a monetary amount of the transactions, a relationship duration, length of time a customer owns a mobile device, and a length of time the customer owns a bank account.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the identity confidence scores further comprises weighting the identification information, and based on the weighting generating a weighted identity confidence score associated with each of the plurality of customers.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering of the first and second set of identity information from the remote interaction and the physical location occurs using a network interface.

15. A system of maintaining an identity confidence system, the system comprising:

host computer configured to process transactions for an account of a customer, capture transaction data for each of the transactions, analyze the transaction data for each of the transactions, use the analysis to identify the customer, identify transactions which exceed a transaction amount threshold; and

a device connected with the host computer, the device configured to, based on one of the transactions exceeding the threshold, receive a identification verification request, transmit a response to the host computer providing proper verification,

wherein the host computer is further configured to update the customer'"'"'s identity confidence score based on the receiving of the response with the proper verification, and

wherein the customer'"'"'s identify confidence score is based on the following;

gathering a first set of identity information about the customer from a physical location, wherein the first set of identify information is obtained from the customer in-person at the physical location by the customer presenting a physical form of identification to a representative of an entity associated with the physical location, wherein a type of physical location includes one or more of the following;

an agent location, a utility provider office, or a government office, and a type of physical form of identification includes one or more of the following;

a government identification or a utility bill,

gathering a second set of identity information about the customer from a remote interaction, wherein the second set of identity information is obtained from the customer at the remote interaction by the customer presenting an electronic form of identification through an electronic medium, wherein a type of remote location includes one or more of the following;

a website, a mobile wallet transaction, a transaction from a portable device, or an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, and a type of electronic form of identification includes one or more of the following;

a photograph from the portable device, a telephone number, or an identification number, wherein the first and second set of identity information comprise;

form of identification, location of transaction, and type of transaction,

determining, at the computer system, a first reliability of the first set of identify information based on the location of the first transaction, the type of the first transaction and form of identification used in the first transaction,

determining, at the computer system, a second reliability of the second set of identify information based on the location of the second transaction, the type of the second transaction and form of identification used in the second transaction, and

based on the first set of identity information being more reliable for identifying the customer than the second set of identity information, ranking, in real time, each of the first set of identify information and the second set of identify information, wherein the first set of identify information is ranked as a higher rate than the second set of identify information, and wherein the identity confidence score is configured to indicate a level of confidence in the identity of the customer;

based on the first set of identity information and the second set of identity information, ranking, in real time, the new identity information, the first set of identity information, and the second set of identify information, each time that new identity information is gathered about the customer;

in response to the ranking of identity information for the customer, dynamically updating, at the computer system, an identity profile for the customer with the gathered ranked first set of identity information, second set of identity information, and the new identity information; and

based on the ranking of the gathered first set of identity information, second set of identity information, and the new identity information, generating, at the computer system, an identity confidence score associated with the customer, wherein the identity confidence score comprises an indication of an overall level of confidence in the identity of the customer, wherein the overall level of confidence is based on an aggregation of the rankings of the first set of identity information, the second set of identity information, and the new identity information in order to provide confidence in the identity of the customer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the verification message is transmitted to the device using a messaging system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the messaging system includes one or more of the following:

a short message service (SMS) message, a voicemail message, and an email message.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the host computer is further configured to, based on the customer failing to respond to the verification request, placing a notation in the customer'"'"'s account.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the host computer is further configured to, in response to placing the notation in the customer'"'"'s account, require the customer to provide identification verification at the physical customer service location.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the host computer is further configured to, in response to the customer providing identification verification at the physical customer service location, remove the notation on the customer'"'"'s account.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the host computer is further configured to utilize the providing of the identification verification or the failing to provide the identification information to update the customer'"'"'s identity confidence score.

22. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon for establishing an identity confidence database which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

gather a first set of identity information about a customer from a physical location, wherein the first set of identify information is obtained from the customer in-person at the physical location by the customer presenting a physical form of identification to a representative of an entity associated with the physical location, wherein a type of physical location includes one or more of the following;

an agent location, a utility provider office, or a government office, and a type of physical form of identification includes one or more of the following;

a government identification or a utility bill;

gather a second set of identity information about the customer from a remote interaction, wherein the second set of identity information is obtained from the customer at the remote interaction by the customer presenting an electronic form of identification through an electronic medium, wherein a type of remote location includes one or more of the following;

a website, a mobile wallet transaction, a transaction from a portable device, or an automated teller machine (ATM) transaction, and a type of electronic form of identification includes one or more of the following;

a photograph from the portable device, a telephone number, or an identification number, wherein the first and second set of identity information comprise;

form of identification, location of transaction, and type of transaction;

determine a first reliability of the first set of identify information based on the location of the first transaction, the type of the first transaction and form of identification used in the first transaction;

determine a second reliability of the second set of identify information based on the location of the second transaction, the type of the second transaction and form of identification used in the second transaction;

based on the first set of identity information being more reliable for identifying the customer than the second set of identity information, rank each of the first set of identify information and the second set of identify information, wherein the first set of identify information is ranked as a higher rate than the second set of identify information;

based on the first set of identity information and the second set of identity information, rank, in real time, the new identity information, the first set of identity information, and the second set of identify information, each time that new identity information is gathered about the customer;

in response to the ranking of identity information for the customer, dynamically update an identity profile for the customer with the gathered ranked first set of identity information, second set of identity information, and the new identity information; and

based on the ranking of the gathered first set of identity information, second set of identity information, and the new identity information, generate an identity confidence score associated with the customer, wherein the identity confidence score comprises an indication of an overall level of confidence in the identity of the customer, wherein the overall level of confidence is based on an aggregation of the rankings of the first set of identity information, the second set of identity information, and the new identity information in order to provide confidence in the identity of the customer.

23. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the generating of the identity confidence scores further comprises instructions which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to weight the identification information, and based on the weighting generate a weighted identity confidence score associated with each of the plurality of customers.