# US 10,319,182 B2 · Automatically identifying potentially fraudulent gaming accounts

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- Number: US 10,319,182 B2
- Document ID: US10319182B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/284,228
- Filed: 2016-10-03
- Published: 2017-08-17
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-15
- Assignees: Zynga Inc.
- Applicants: Zynga Inc.
- Inventors: Jia Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319182B2

## CPC

- G07F 17/3241: {Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance (computer security G06F21/00)}
- A63F 13/32: using local area network [LAN] connections
- A63F 13/327: using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
- A63F 13/33: using wide area network [WAN] connections
- A63F 13/332: using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
- A63F 13/335: using Internet
- A63F 13/75: Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
- A63F 13/79: involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
- A63F 13/92: Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
- G07F 17/3218: {wherein at least part of the system is portable}
- G07F 17/3225: {Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users}
- G07F 17/3248: {involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value}
- A63F 2300/405: being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, piconet
- A63F 2300/406: Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
- A63F 2300/407: Data transfer via internet
- A63F 2300/5546: using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
- A63F 2300/5586: for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In example embodiments, a method of mitigating the effects of fraudulent usage of game accounts is disclosed. One or more values stored in one or more fields of a row of a database table maintained by the game networking system are received. The one or more fields correspond to features of a game account that are relevant to determining whether the game account is potentially being used fraudulently. Based on a combination of the one or more values transgressing a threshold value, it is determined that the game account is potentially being used fraudulently. At least some use of the potentially fraudulent game account is automatically locked to mitigate the effect of the potentially-fraudulent use.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
one or more modules implemented by one or more processors of a game networking system, the one or more modules incorporated into the game networking system to specially configure the game networking system to, at least:
receive one or more values stored in one or more fields of a row of a database table maintained by the game networking system, the one or more fields corresponding to features of a game account that are relevant to determining whether the game account is a potentially fraudulent game account, wherein the features include at least one of a ratio of virtual goods received by the game account to a level of gaming activities performed by the game account and a ratio of a number of transfers of virtual goods out of the game account to an average number of transfers of virtual goods out of additional game accounts, and wherein at least some of the transfers of the virtual goods out of the game account are accomplished through deliberate losses by an owner of the game account;
based on a combination of the one or more values transgressing a threshold value, determine that the game account is the potentially fraudulent game account; and
automatically prevent at least some use of the potentially fraudulent game account.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more modules further specially, configure the game networking system to, at least, identify the one or more features based on an analysis of activities of the game account in comparison to activities of additional game accounts, the additional game accounts identified as being non-fraudulent game accounts.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, the one or more modules further specially configure the game networking system to, at least, identify the one or more features based on an analysis of activities of the game account in comparison to activities of additional game accounts, the additional game accounts identified as being fraudulent game accounts.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the game account is used to play a gambling game, the virtual goods are virtual betting chips; and the level of gaming activities corresponds to a number of bets made with at least some of the virtual betting chips.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more modules further specially configure the game networking system to, at least:
determine a new threshold value based on a receiving of an online submission of a complaint from an owner of the potentially fraudulent game account;
based on a combination of the one or more values not transgressing the new threshold value, determine that the game account is not the potentially fraudulent game account; and
automatically unlock the game account to allow use of the game account by the owner of the game account.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
receiving one or more values stored in one or more fields of a row of a database table maintained by the game networking system, the one or more fields corresponding to features of a game account that are relevant to determining whether the game account is a potentially fraudulent game account, wherein the features include at least one of a ratio of virtual goods received by the game account to a level of gaming activities performed by the game account and a ratio of a number of transfers of virtual goods out of the game account to an average number of transfers of virtual goods out of additional game accounts, and wherein at least some of the transfers of the virtual goods out of the game account are accomplished through deliberate losses by an owner of the game account;
based on a combination of the one or more values transgressing a threshold value, determining that the game account is the potentially fraudulent game account; and
automatically preventing at least some use of the potentially game account.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying the one or more features based on an analysis of activities of the game account in comparison to activities of additional game accounts, the additional game accounts identified as being non-fraudulent game accounts.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying the one or more features based on an analysis of activities of the game account in comparison to activities of additional game accounts, the additional game accounts identified as being fraudulent game accounts.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the game account is used to play a gambling game, the virtual goods are virtual betting chips, and the level of gaming activities corresponds to a number of bets made with at least some of the virtual betting chips.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
determining a new threshold value based on a receiving of an online submission of a complaint from an owner of the potentially fraudulent game account;
based on a combination of the one or more values not transgressing the new threshold value, determining that the game account is not the potentially fraudulent game account; and
automatically unlocking the game account to allow use of the game account by the owner of the game account.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving one or more values stored in one or more fields of a row of a database table maintained by the game networking system, the one or more fields corresponding to features of a game account that are relevant to determining whether the game account is a potentially fraudulent game account, wherein the features include at least one of a ratio of virtual goods received by the game account to a level of gaming activities performed by the game account and a ratio of a number of transfers of virtual goods out of the game account to an average number of transfers of virtual goods out of additional game accounts, and wherein at least some of the transfers of the virtual goods out of the game account are accomplished through deliberate losses by an owner of the game account;
based on a combination of the one or more values transgressing a threshold value, determining that the game account is the potentially fraudulent game account; and
automatically preventing at least some use of the potentially fraudulent game account.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising identifying the one or more features based on an analysis of activities of the game account in comparison to activities of additional game accounts, the additional game accounts identified as being non-fraudulent game accounts.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising identifying the one or more features based on an analysis of activities of the game account in comparison to activities of additional game accounts, the additional game accounts identified as being fraudulent game accounts.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the game account is used to play a gambling game, the virtual goods are virtual betting chips, and the level of gaming activities corresponds to a number of bets made with at least some of the virtual betting chips.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising:
determining a new threshold value based on a receiving of an online submission of a complaint from an owner of the potentially fraudulent game account;
based on a combination of the one or more values not transgressing the new threshold value, determining that the game account is not the potentially fraudulent game account; and
automatically unlocking the game account to allow use of the game account by the owner of the game account.