Fraud detection in a postage system
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsFrederick Ryan, Bradley Hammell, Anuja Ketan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for processing and printing shipping labels having postage is described. In one configuration a postage dispensing system allows a shipping label reprint for a relatively short period of time. In another configuration, the system offers a refund after the second unsuccessful print attempt and logs the label identifier as an invalid identifier. If the print is successful, the identifier is logged as a successful identifier. The system occasionally receives identifiers that have been processed in the mail stream and reports fraud if an unexpected identifier is present.
Claims29
A method for controlling duplicate printing by a user of a first shipping label having an identifier comprising:
- receiving a shipping label request from a client system;
- indicating a request to print the shipping label;
- initiating a shipping label print task;
- receiving a print success indicator;
- if the print success indicator indicates that the print was successful, logging the identifier as a successful print;
- if the print success indicator indicates that the print was not successful, offering a reprint option to the user;
- and
- if the reprint option is not successful, logging the identifier as an unsuccessful print.
A method for detecting fraud by a user of a shipping label having an identifier comprising:
- receiving a print success indicator for the shipping label having a first identifier;
- receiving a list of identifiers representing items processed by a shipping stream;
- if the print success indicator is negative, reporting a potential fraud if the first identifier is present in the list of identifiers;
- and
- if the print success indicator is positive, reporting a potential fraud if the first identifier is present at least twice in the list of identifiers.
A method for detecting fraud by a user of a transportation item having an identifier comprising:
- receiving a print success indicator associated with the transportation item;
- receiving a list of identifiers used in a shipping stream;
- if the print success indicator is negative, reporting a potential fraud if the indicator is present in the list of identifiers;
- and
- if the print success indicator is positive, reporting a potential fraud if the indicator is present at least twice in the list of identifiers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.