Imposter account detection and remediation in a social networking system
AssigneeFacebook, Inc.
InventorsMichael Nicholas Hudack, Samuel Lessin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a request to connect a requesting user to a target user is received by the social networking system, information associated with the requesting user and with users connected to the target user is retrieved. A fraud probability score indicating a probability that the requesting user is impersonating a user connected to the target user is determined based on the information associated with the requesting user and with users connected to the target user. Based on the fraud probability score, a determination is made whether the requesting user is a suspected imposter and remedial action is taken if imposter is suspected.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving, by an online system, a request from a client device of a requesting user to communicate with a target user of the online system;
- retrieving a user profile of the requesting user that includes information identifying characteristics of the requesting user;
- retrieving a user profile of the target user that includes information identifying users of the online system that are connected to the target user;
- determining a fraud score by comparing the user profile of the requesting user to user profiles of users connected to the target user, the fraud score indicating a likelihood that the requesting user is impersonating another user of the online system;
- and
- disallowing, using at least one processor, the request based on the fraud score.
A method comprising:
- receiving, by an online system, a request from a client device from a requesting user that is associated with a target user of the online system;
- identifying one or more users connected to the target user via the online system;
- determining a fraud score based on a comparison of characteristics of the requesting user and characteristics of the one or more users connected to the target user, the fraud score indicating a likelihood that the requesting user is impersonating another user of the online system;
- and
- handling, using at least one processor, the request based on the fraud score.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
- receive a request from a client device of a requesting user associated with a target user of an online system;
- retrieve a user profile of the requesting user that includes information identifying characteristics of the requesting user;
- retrieve a user profile of the target user that includes information identifying users of the online system that are connected to the target user;
- determine a fraud score by comparing the user profile of the requesting user to user profiles of users connected to the target user, the fraud score indicating a likelihood that the requesting user is impersonating another user of the online system;
- and
- perform one or more actions affecting the request based on the fraud score in response to the fraud probability score being at least a threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.