US 9,779,556 B1Granted

System and method for identifying and preventing on-line fraud

AssigneeStamps.com Inc.

InventorsAkbar A. Thobhani, Kyle Huebner, Steve Spring

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods which identify fraudulent situations during the transaction phase. In one embodiment, such detection is accomplished by monitoring for situations either outside the range of normal for the general population or outside the range of normal for this particular user. The normal range could be rule driven and, for example, could include size of a given purchase, frequency of purchases, identity of use equipment being utilized for the current transaction, etc. The rule could be relaxed or tightened, at least in part, based on the length of time that the user has been a customer and the user's past payment history. In one embodiment, device ids are used to detect fraudulent users. These device (or software) ids could, for example, be a “fingerprint” of the user's equipment, or a “cookie” previously downloaded to the user that identifies the user to the fulfillment system. In situations where fraud is detected downloading the value to the user is interrupted.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of sending downloadable value indicia data over the Internet, said data used to generate value indicia which is stored on identifiable media for subsequent use by a recipient, said method comprising:

receiving, by a server, information relating to a purchase of said identifiable media, the information including:
identifiable portions of said identifiable media, an identity of a user who purchased said identifiable media, and a first fingerprint of computer equipment used by said user to purchase said identifiable media;
storing, by said server, said identifiable portions of said identifiable media in association with said identity of said user and in association with said first fingerprint of said computer equipment;
receiving, by said server from a remote computing device of said recipient, an order for specific downloadable value indicia data of said downloadable value indicia data to generate said value indicia, wherein said order specifies an identifiable medium to have printed thereon said value indicia;
obtaining, by said server, a second fingerprint of said remote computing device;
determining, by said server, whether said first fingerprint matches said second fingerprint;
in response to a determination, by said server, that said first fingerprint matches said second fingerprint, determining, by said server, whether said specified identifiable medium of said order matches at least one of said stored identifiable portions of said identifiable media associated with said identity of said user who purchased said identifiable media to store said value indicia;
and
in response to a determination, by said server, that said specified identifiable medium of said order matches said at least one of said stored identifiable portions of said identifiable media associated with said identity of said user who purchased said identifiable media to store said value indicia, sending, by said server, over the Internet to said remote computing device, said specific downloadable value indicia data.

6 more elements

A method of sending value indicia data to a remote computing device of a recipient, said method comprising:

receiving, by a server from a computing device of a user, a request for purchase of at least one identifiable medium;
obtaining a first fingerprint of said computing device in response to said request, wherein said first fingerprint comprises at least one of a physical address, an electronic address, a supplied phone number, a printer identification, and a MAC address;
sending, to said user, said purchased at least one identifiable medium;
recording, by the server, identifiable portions of said purchased at least one identifiable medium, wherein said recording indicates that said sent at least one identifiable medium was purchased by said user using said computing device having said first fingerprint;
receiving, by said server from said remote computing device of said recipient, an order for said value indicia data, wherein said order specifies an identifiable medium;
obtaining, by said server, a second fingerprint of said remote computing device in response to receiving said order;
determining, by said server, whether said first fingerprint matches said second fingerprint;
in response to a determination that said first fingerprint matches said second fingerprint, determining, by the server, whether said identifiable medium specified in said order matches one of said recorded identifiable portions of said at least one identifiable medium purchased using said computing device having said first fingerprint;
and
in response to a determination that said specified identifiable medium of said order matches said one of said recorded identifiable portions of said sent at least one identifiable medium purchased using said computing device having said first fingerprint, sending said value indicia data to said remote computing device.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/616,529Filed 27 Dec 2006
Granted: 3 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G07B 17/00733
Franking apparatus: cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
G06Q 20/401
Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check…:…
G07B 17/00024
Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system: physical or organizational…
G06Q 2250/05
Postage metering systems: using cryptography