Method and system for using social networks to verify entity affiliations and identities

A non-transitory computer readable storage media storing thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• receive, from a user purporting to act on behalf of an entity, login credentials for at least one website, wherein the at least one website is a social networking website, and the login credentials relate to at least one account on the social networking website that is purported to be an account associated with the entity;
• retrieve, using the login credentials, social data relating to the entity from the at least one website, the social data comprising a plurality of social connections, each of the plurality of social connections reflecting a respective relationship between the entity and a respective third party;
• determine, a plurality of relevant social connections, the plurality of relevant social connections comprising at least a first subset of the plurality of social connections, each social connection of the first subset of the plurality of social connects reflecting a relationship to a respective third party that is deemed to be reliable;
• and
• determine a reliability rating of the entity based on the plurality of relevant social connections.

A computer system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to:
• receive, from a user purporting to act on behalf of an entity, login credentials for at least one website, wherein the at least one website is a social networking website, and the login credentials relate to at least one account on the social networking website that is purported to be an account associated with the entity;
• retrieve, using the login credentials, social data relating to the entity from the at least one website, the social data comprising a plurality of social connections, each of the plurality of social connections reflecting a respective relationship between the entity and a respective third party;
• determine, a plurality of relevant social connections, the plurality of relevant social connections comprising at least a first subset of the plurality of social connections, each social connection of the first subset of the plurality of social connects reflecting a relationship to a respective third party that is deemed to be reliable;
• and
• determine a reliability rating of the entity based on the plurality of relevant social connections.