Alert controller for loss prevention

A method, comprising:

• receiving item information from a loss prevention application executing on a transaction terminal during a transaction at the transaction terminal, wherein receiving further includes receiving the item information as an image, a video clip, and item details provided by a scanned code on an item at the transaction terminal;
• instructing a transaction manager processing the transaction to continue processing the transaction without completing the transaction based on identifying that a customer has started payment processing by detecting a card swiped in a card reader of the transaction terminal, and wherein instructing further includes preventing the transaction from completing at the transaction terminal by holding card information associated with the card swiped in the card reader in abeyance and by not providing the card information to and not processing the card information with a corresponding financial institution and intentionally slowing down the transaction and obfuscating from the customer that the item information is being evaluated for potential theft during the slowing down of the transaction;
• providing the item information to an alert controller of a management terminal, wherein the providing further includes causing the transaction manager to engage the customer at the transaction terminal in questions during the slowing down of the transaction to intentionally delay completion of the transaction or intentionally suspend the transaction until a response is received from the alert controller, wherein a length of time that the transaction is slowed down is dependent upon a time set by the alert controller;
• directing the transaction manager to perform processing comprising interrupting the transaction preventing completion of the transaction when theft is detected by the alert controller and completing the transaction based on the response provided from the alert controller indicating that theft is not detected by providing the card information to the corresponding financial institution to complete the transaction;
• and
• instructing the transaction manager to permit the transaction to complete by supplying the transaction manager an override sent by an operator of the management terminal when the operator of the management terminal after reviewing the video clip concludes that there was no theft for the transaction, wherein the video clip includes a certain image of a certain item displayed with transaction details for the transaction and a terminal identifier for the transaction terminal on the management terminal to the operator.

A system, comprising:

• a management terminal having a hardware processor that executes computer instructions representing an alert controller;
• and
• a transaction terminal having a hardware processor that executes computer instructions representing an alert agent;
• wherein the alert agent when executed by the hardware processor is configured to perform processing comprising:
• receiving item information during a transaction at the transaction terminal from a theft prevention application, wherein receiving further includes receiving the item information as an image, a video clip, and item details provided by a scanned code on an item at the transaction terminal;
• sending the item information in real time and during the transaction to the alert controller;
• instructing a transaction manager that processes the transaction to slow down transaction processing to prevent completion of processing of the item information based on a customer associated with the transaction indicating that the customer is done and ready to pay for the transaction by identifying that the customer has started payment processing by identifying a card swiped in a card reader of the transaction terminal, and wherein instructing further includes preventing the transaction from completing at the transaction terminal by holding card information associated with the card swiped in the card reader in abeyance by not providing the card information to and not processing the card information with a corresponding financial institution and engaging the customer at the transaction terminal in questions while obfuscating from the customer that the item information is being evaluated for potential theft during a transaction slow down until a response is received from the alert controller;
• and
• instructing the transaction manager to perform processing comprising:
• interrupting and suspending the transaction for intervention or completing the transaction based on the response received from the alert controller by providing the card information to the corresponding financial institution;
• wherein the alert controller when executed by the hardware processor is configured to perform processing comprising:
• presenting the item information within a transaction interface on a display of the management terminal;
• setting a timer based on customer traffic, wherein setting the timer to be shorter when customer traffic is heavy and setting the timer to be longer when the customer traffic is lighter;
• calculating a confidence value from the item information;
• sending an interrupt response as the response to the alert agent when:
• an override is not received within the transaction interface, the timer expires, and the confidence value exceeds a threshold value;
• and
• sending a continue response as the response to the alert agent when:
• the override is received before the timer expires and the confidence value is below the threshold value, wherein the override received is provided by an operator of the management terminal to the transaction manager as an indication that the operator reviewed the video clip and concluded there was no theft for the transaction, wherein the video clip includes a certain image of a certain item displayed with transaction details for the transaction and a terminal identifier for the transaction terminal on the management terminal to the operator.