System and method for correlating supply chain theft with internet auction activity

An activity monitoring station for tracking lost or stolen items, the activity monitoring station being in communication with a sales activity database and a loss database, the activity monitoring station comprising:

• a data memory storing a list of Internet sites and an item watch list,
• a processor communicatively coupled to the data memory, the processor operable to:
• monitor sales activities of Internet sites designated in the listing of Internet sites for offers to sell items on the item watch list;
• store data relating to offers to sell items on the item watch list in the sales activity database;
• search the loss database and the sales activity database to identify at least one loss data record and at least one sales data record relating to the same item on the watch list;
• obtain a first parameter associated with the at least one sales data record;
• obtain a second parameter associated with the at least one loss data record;
• compare the first parameter and the second parameter;
• calculate a correlation value based on the comparison of the first parameter and the second parameter;
• identify an item match when the correlation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
• and
• responsive to discovering the at least one matching item, generate a suspicious activity report

A system for correlating known loss data with on-line selling activity to detect suspicious activity, the system comprising:

• a sales activity database containing information for items sold or offered for sale on at least one Internet site;
• a loss database storing information for lost or stolen items;
• and
• an activity monitoring station communicatively coupled to the sales activity database and the loss database, the activity monitoring station:
• monitoring sales activities of Internet sites designated in the listing of Internet sites for offers to sell items on an item watch list;
• storing data relating to offers to sell items on the item watch list in the sales activity database;
• searching the loss database and the sales activity database to identify at least one loss data record and at least one sales data record relating to the same item on the watch list;
• obtaining a first parameter associated with the at least one sales data record;
• obtaining a second parameter associated with the at least one loss data record;
• comparing the first parameter and the second parameter;
• calculating a correlation value based on the comparison of the first parameter and the second parameter;
• identifying an item match when the numerical value exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
• and
• responsive to discovering the at least one matching item, generating a suspicious activity report.