A mobile network based authentication system for authenticating an account holder's access to a restricted-access account, the mobile network based authentication system comprising:
- an application server running on a computing device including a processor and a memory, the application server being configured to authenticate the account holder's access to the restricted-access account based on a one-time password to be transmitted to a first device of the account holder and to be entered by the account holder using a second device;
- and
- an identification server running on a computing device including a processor and a memory, the identification server communicating with the application server after the application server receives a request from the account holder to access the restricted-access account and before the application server transmits the one-time password to the first device, to verify that a name of the account holder is linked to a network identifier associated with the restricted-access account,
- wherein upon receiving the request to access the restricted-access account, the application server transmits to the identification server, a request to verify the account holder's identity, the request to verify the account holder's identity including:
- (1) the name of the account holder and (2) the network identifier,
- wherein upon receiving the request to verify the account holder's identity, the identification server:
- identifies (1) a name of a primary user of a mobile service plan associated with the network identifier and (2) a physical address associated with the primary user of the mobile service plan,
- determines that the name of the account holder does not match the name of the primary user of the mobile service plan,
- in response to determining that the name of the account holder does not match the name of the primary user of the mobile service plan, transmits to a credit bureau server, a request for at least one name of a person associated with the physical address,
- upon receiving from the credit bureau server, a name associated with the physical address, determines that the name received from the credit bureau server matches the name of the account holder, and
- in response to determining that the name received from the credit bureau server matches the name of the account holder, transmits to the application server, verification of the account holder's identity, and
- wherein upon receiving the verification of the account holder's identity, the application server transmits the one-time password to the first device and then confirms that the second device returned the one-time password before allowing the account holder to access the restricted-access account using the second device.