MXPA06005848A - Method and system for identity theft prevention, detection and victim assistance - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system that offers an identity theft prevention/detection service combined with a comprehensive victim assistance program. The identity theft prevention/detection service includes electronically monitoring an account associated with a customer for potential fraudulent activity. During the monitoring, potential fraudulent activity related to the account can be identified using fraud indicators. Once fraudulent activity is determined, the identity of the customer associated with the account can be verified. The verification can be done using information obtained from the customer with information obtained from the account associated with the customer. A credit report can be obtained and reviewed with the customer and a credit specialist. The credit specialist can be associated with a credit bureau or a commercial bureau. After reviewing the credit report, the case specialist can assist the customer in rectifying the fraudulent activity.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PREVENTION, DETECTION OF IDENTITY THEFT AND ASSISTANCE TO THE VICTIM PRIORITY This application is a continuation in part of, and claims priority to, US Pat. No. 10 / 933,261, filed on September 3, 2004, and also claims priority to the US Provisional Patent Application. UU 60 / 499,378, filed on September 3, 2003. Each of the previously identified applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for providing assistance to victims who are dealing with identity theft. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention includes methods and systems that offer a service of prevention / detection of identity theft combined with a victim assistance program.

BACKGROUND Identity theft is the unauthorized use of personal information such as name, address, social security number, date of birth and maiden name of the mother to establish or take credit under the name of any other. Identity theft manifests itself primarily in two ways: first, as a fraudulent application in which a new credit relationship is established using the personal information of any other; and second, through the acquisition of the account in which the existing credit relationship is assumed using the personal information of any other. Identity theft is presented through various means, for example, through the increasing availability of information online and anywhere (mother's maiden name, passwords, etc.), illegal access to bureau information credit, illegal sale of information by reliable sources (government agencies, collusive employees, etc.), scams that seek this information directly from consumers, known / family member who generally has access to the personal information of the victim, and stealing information from an open mailbox, purse / purse stolen or information discarded in the trash. The existing processes to assist victims of identity theft are mainly based on the individual credit relationship of an institution (for example, a bank) with the victim. Therefore, there are several different systems (even within an institution, such as between the business of a bank card and bank business) by which the victim has to work with different units in order to have their identity restored. For example, the victim could contact a particular bank unit to close a particular account. The victim is transferred to another unit for another account, and even to an additional unit that could provide assistance to the victim. According to the above, there is a need for a system and method of victim assistance that provides the victims of identity theft not only the ability to restore their good name and credit work in an individual transaction, but also in the basis of your other creditor relationships. These exemplary embodiments are mentioned not to limit or define the invention, but to provide examples of embodiments of the invention to assist in the understanding thereof. Exemplary embodiments are discussed in the Detailed Description, and additional description of the invention is provided herein. The advantages offered by the various embodiments of the present invention can be further understood by examining this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION The embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for the service of prevention / detection of identity theft combined with a program of assistance to the victim. The identity theft prevention / detection service includes electronically monitoring at least one account associated with a customer for potential fraudulent activity, identify the potential fraudulent activity related to the account based on one or more indicators of fraud, verify the identity of the client associated with the account, and review a credit report with the client and a credit specialist, where the credit specialist is associated with a credit bureau or commercial bureau. The comprehensive victim assistance program includes helping the client rectify the fraudulent activity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are better understood when the following Detailed Description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system offering a service for preventing / detecting identity theft combined with a victim assistance program in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2A-2C ("Figure 2) illustrate a flow diagram of a method that provides an identity theft prevention / detection system combined with a comprehensive victim assistance program in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. and Figure 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method that provides victim assistance to a victim of identity theft by a credit bureau in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not as a limitation of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various fications and variations may be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, the features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment to still produce an additional embodiment. In this way, it is intended that the present invention cover such fications and variations that come within the scope of the invention. Various systems according to the present invention can be constructed. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary system in which the embodiments of the present invention can operate. The present invention can operate, and be incorporated into, other systems as well. Referring now to the drawings in which similar numbers indicate similar elements throughout the various figures. Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 shown in Figure 1 includes a telephone network 106 that allows one or more customers 1 02, for example, a credit card customer, business card customer, or business customer, to communicate with one or more customers. case specialists 104 and / or one or more representatives, for example, a credit specialist 108, in a credit bureau (for example, TransUnion) or a commercial bureau (for example, Duna &Bradstreet). In one embodiment, the customer 1 02, the case specialist 104, and the credit specialist 108 can participate together in telephone conference via the telephone network 106. The system 100 includes a computer network 1 10 that allows the case specialist 104 and credit specialist 108 communicate electronically with each other and share access to information. In some embodiments, the computer network 10 comprises the Internet. In other lities, other networks, such as intranet, WAN, or LAN, can be used. The case specialist 104 and credit specialist 1 08 may have access to the computer network 1 10 by means of a processor-based device 1 12. The processor-based device 1 12 may comprise a computer readable medium, such as a computer. random access memory (RAM) coupled to a processor. The processor executes the instructions of the executable program by computer stored in the memory. Such processors may comprise a microprocessor, an ASIC, and state machines. Such processors comprise, or may be in communication with, means, for example, computer readable medium, which stores the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps described herein. The lities of the computer-readable medium include, but are not limited to, an electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage or transmission device capable of providing a processor with readable instructions by computer. Other examples of suitable means include, but are not limited to, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, an ASIC, a configured processor, all optical media, all magnetic tape. or another magnetic medium, or any other means from which a computer processor can read instructions. Also, various other forms of computer-readable media can transmit or carry instructions to a computer, including a router, public or private network, or other transmission device or channel, both wired and wireless. The instructions may comprise the code of any computer programming language, including, for example, C, C ++, C #, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Perl, and JavaScript. The processor-based device 12 can also comprise a number of internal and external devices such as a mouse, a CD-ROM, DVD, a keyboard, a screen, or other input and output devices. Examples of processor-based devices 1 12 are personal computers, digital tablets, laptops, Internet devices, and other processor-based devices. In general, a processor-based device 1 12 can be of any type of processor-based platform that is connected to a telephone network 1 06 or computer network 1 10 and that interacts with one or more application programs. Processor-based devices 1 12 can operate in any operating system capable of supporting a browser or browser-enabled application, such as Microsoft® Windows® or Linux. Through the processor-based device 1 12, the case specialist 104 can communicate over the computer network 1 1 0 with one or more server devices 1 14, 1 1 8. Examples of a server device 1 14, 1 18 are servers, central processing units, computers with network, a processor-based device, and similar types of systems and devices. The credit card files 1 16 may include credit card information, for each credit card, issued by the credit card issuer, and is associated with a customer 102. The credit card files 1 16 may include such information such as transaction information, billing information, billing address, passwords, etc. The case specialist 1 02 can access the credit card files 1 16 on the server 1 14 through the computer network 1 1 0. The server 1 1 8 can contain one or more credit reports or can generate 120 credit reports associated with a client 102. Case specialist 1 04 and / or credit specialist 1 08 can access credit reports 120 on server 1 1 8 through computer network 1 10.

The system 100 may include a fraud detection unit 122, for example, an early fraud warning system, which can monitor at least one credit card account or business card account, associated with a customer 1 02, for potential fraudulent activity, for example, activity Monitoring of suspicious activity may include, but is not limited to, reviewing all transactions, using authorization detection strategies to detect out-of-pocket payments and expenses (for example, multiple charges in the same location and for charges for the same goods, such as gasoline), review the changes to a customer's information (for example, phone number, email address), review new filed applications, review high-risk transactions ( for example, include change of address and card request sent to a high-risk zip code area or an overnight card request for check the boarding address located in a high risk zip code area), check the high risk customer checks requested by creditors and sellers that have a major fraud based on historical details, monitor the System I database records Known Fraud Indicator (KFIS) which include fraudulent addresses and phone numbers to see if a customer's information is changed to a fraudulent address or phone number, review balance transfer check requests, investigate an account a credit request request by a collusive credit bureau subscriber, review the imbalance of billing address / boarding address, etc. Monitoring may include monitoring information on account information changes that are matched to a fraud-reporting system, such as a Known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS), and industrial information, such as Alert Authorization Service by the Issuer. (ICS) and for new accounts, such as New Accounts Processing System (NAPS). Monitoring can also be used to identify potential internal commuting and information security includes emissions, and monitor suspicious applications, transaction activity, balance requests, and high-risk requests. Account changes can be verified with the client. Monitoring can be electronic monitoring or can be done by one or more individuals along with electronic monitoring. Monitoring services can be free or based on what is free. It should be noted that the present invention may comprise systems having different architecture to that shown in Figure 1. For example, in some systems according to the present invention, the server devices 1 14, 1 18 may comprise a unique logical or physical server. In other embodiments, the server devices 1 10, 1 14 can be single servers, a virtual server, multiple servers, etc. The system 1 10 shown in Figure 1 is merely exemplary, and is used to help explain the communication network and methods illustrated in Figure 2. Furthermore, the methods according to the present invention can operate within a single computer.

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary method 200 for assisting a victim of identity theft in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. This exemplary method is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the methods according to the present invention. The method 200 shown in Figure 2 may be executed or otherwise performed by one or a combination of several systems. The method 200 is described below as carried out by the system 100 shown in Figure 2 by way of example, and various elements of the system 100 are referred to in the explanation of the exemplary method of Figure 2. The method 200 illustrated in FIG. Figure 2 begins in block 202 with the receipt of a case of potential identity theft. A case specialist 104 may receive a case of identity theft of a client 102, of the fraud detection unit 122, or other known methods. For example, a customer 1 02 can call a credit card issuer that issued the credit card that may be subject to a case of potential identity theft. The call can go directly to a case specialist 4 or can come from a representative customer service for the credit card issuer who transfers the call to the case specialist 1 04. After receiving the case, the 200 method proceeds to the block 204 where a determination is made if a case is opened. The determination may be based on whether the client 102 meets the criteria for being a victim of identity fraud. A case may be established or opened based on the client's belief that he may be a victim even if it is not initial proof to substantiate his interest. A case can be opened for a victim who is an existing customer of the card issuer or for a victim whose only relationship with the credit card issuer is through the fraudulent account in question. If a determination is made that the client 102 is not a victim of identity theft, then method 200 proceeds to block 206 where the case specialist 104 can answer any of the questions the client might have about identity theft. and / or Case Specialist 1 04 can send the client a brochure about identity theft. If the client 102 satisfies the criteria, method 200 proceeds to block 208 where the client verifies its identity. For example, the case specialist 104 may have access to a file associated with the client 102, for example, a credit card file 1 16 and may verify the identity of the client using the information of the client file. The identity of the client can be verified through the known identity identification methods. If the client 102 has verified his identity early in the call, for example, to a service representative, then the identity verification of the client can be omitted. Examples of identity verification can include passwords from a customer's verification account or account-specific information, social security number (originating location) location, verification of a previous address, as well as other known techniques. After verifying the identity of the client, the method 200 proceeds to block 210 where the case specialist 104 describes the services offered by the card issuer and informs the client 102 of the approximate time required to complete the process. If the client is interested but does not have time for the client's initial call, method 200 may proceed to block 212 where the customer is provided with a telephone number and hours of operation for the unit, thus allowing the customer to call again at a better time. When a client 102 calls again one hour later, the process may continue in block 208. If client 102 is interested and has sufficient time, method 200 proceeds to block 214, where the client information is collected. For example, the customer specialist 104 obtains customer information, such as customer contact information (mailing address, home telephone number, work telephone number, and / or mobile phone number, fraudulent account information and date) The client's information can be saved, for example, on server 1 14. A real password (a password not from the maiden name of the mother) can be obtained from the client and set for client 104. A notification of The password can also be obtained and established After collecting customer information, method 200 proceeds to block 216, where a credit report for customer 1 02 is reviewed, if allowed, for example, if a credit relationship exists, for example, where the client consciously established such a relationship, case specialist 1 04 has access to online credit report 120. Client 1 02 and case specialist 1 04 review the credit report together. For example, the client 102 and the case specialist 104 can now review accounts, addresses and requests from the past 12 months to ensure that the bureau information is correct. The case specialist 104 can record any information that the client 102 denies as being accurate, for example, discrepancies. After reviewing the credit report with the client, method 200 proceeds to block 21 8 where a telephone conference between the client 102, the case specialist 104 and a credit specialist 108 is conducted and the credit report is amended, If allowed. For example, case specialist 104 establishes a three-way call with a credit specialist 108 from a credit bureau, for example, TransUnion, or from a commercial bureau, for example, Duna &; Bradstreet This can be achieved by using an established relationship and a dedicated telephone line, for example, dedicated telephone number. Preferably, a voice recognition unit (VRU) is not used, nor is waiting and the transition to bring the online credit bureau in the process is complete for the client. Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for a credit bureau to assist a victim of identity theft in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. This exemplary method is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the methods according to the present invention. The method 300 shown in Figure 3 can be executed or otherwise performed by one or a combination of several systems. The method 300 is described below as it is partially carried out by the system 100 shown in Figure 1 by way of example, and various elements of the system 1 00 are referred to in the explanation of the exemplary method of Figure 3. The method 300 illustrated in Figure 3 it begins in block 302 with the identity of the client verifying itself. For example, the credit specialist 1 08 can verify the identity of the customer using a credit report 120. For example, the credit specialist 108 can have access to the credit report 120 associated with the customer 1 02 and can verify the identity of the customer. client using the credit report information 120. The identity of the customer can be verified through the known identity verification methods. After verifying the identity of the client, the method 300 proceeds to block 304 where the credit specialist 108 can explain what will be done in the call and how much this may affect the customer's credit report 120. After the explanation of what can be done, the method 300 proceeds to the block 306 where a review of the credit report can be performed by the credit report specialist 1 08, the case specialist 1 04, and the client 1 02. This review can cover a specific time period, for example, a period of 12 months. After reviewing the credit report, method 300 proceeds to block 308 where inaccuracies can be disputed, for example, disputed businesses, petitions and addresses can be placed in dispute with the credit bureau. After inaccuracies are recorded, method 300 proceeds to block 310 where one or more items can be removed from the credit report, if allowed. After removing one or more items, method 300 proceeds to block 312 where one or more translating alerts can be placed on the credit reel of customer 120. Fraud alerts can be shared with the other credit bureaus. When the customer is the victim of a fraudulent application, the fraud alert may last for a given period of time, for example, seven (7) years and may last for a given period of time, for example, one (1) year and for all other types of fraud. After sharing the fraud alerts with other credit bureaus, method 300 proceeds to block 314 where at least one permanent copy of the credit report to be sent to client 1 02 is requested. In a modality, if the address on file for client 1 02 is the same as the address reported by the client through the telephone, each credit bureau can send a credit report to the victim to that address. If the address is not matched, the credit bureau may send the client a letter requesting additional written verification of the address provided by the customer through the telephone before sending a permanent copy of the credit report. Referring to Figure 2 again, after the telephone conference, the method 200 proceeds to block 220 where the client 102 helps to contact the creditors. For example, the case specialist 104 may assist the client 102 in contacting the creditors to initiate an account closure and investigation if the client 102 has identified fraudulent petitions or accounts reported in the client's credit report 120. If necessary, new credit cards can be requested. If necessary, a power of attorney can be established. The case specialist 104 may interact with the creditors by the client 102. After contacting the creditors, the method 200 proceeds to block 222 where the client is provided with other contact information. For example, the case specialist 104 can explain to the client 102 how to contact the agencies (for example, Division of Motor Vehicles), enforcement of the law (for example, police in order to file a police report) and any other necessary part to resolve the disputed information. After providing the additional information, method 200 proceeds to block 224 where a temporary credit line can be placed to assist the customer with necessary and emergency purchases while his account is being investigated, if necessary.

After establishing a temporary credit line increase, method 200 proceeds to block 226 where a formal letter can be provided to the customer for creditors such as mortgage companies. The formal letter stating that one or more credit card accounts are currently being investigated for fraud. This can be useful when the client 102 is in the process of obtaining a new line of credit. After providing the letter, train the client 102, the method 200 proceeds to block 228 where the client 1 02 can be provided with contact information and hours of operation for the case specialist 104 who handles the case of identity theft. After providing the information in relation to the case specialist 104, the method 200 proceeds to block 2130 where an adapted tool kit can be created and sent to the client 1 02. The tool kit can contain a brief description of the initial conversation, the contact information of the dedicated case specialist 104, a worksheet that details the status of your case, the creditors impacted and your contact information as well as other useful resources and your contact information such as law enforcement agents and of government. The team may also contain a universal fraud testimony that could be sent back to the creditors and a commercial return envelope for the client 102 to send the testimony and support materials back to the case specialist 1 04.

After sending the tool kit, method 200 proceeds to block 232 where one or more credit card accounts with client 102 can be listed in a credit bureau monitoring service, if allowed. If a new trade, petition or address appears in the credit file of the dedicated credit bureau, an electronic notification can be sent to the case specialist 1 02. The case specialist 102 can thus verify the information with the client 102. After listing the client 102 in a monitoring service, the method 200 may proceed to block 234 where the case specialist 104 may proceed with the client periodically through the case. For example, the case specialist 104 may proceed with the client 102 at the following intervals: (a) 14 days to ensure receipt of the tool kit and bureaus; (b) 60 days to review the status of account inquiries and bureau resolutions; and (c) 90 days to close the case if the issues of identity fraud have been resolved and new disputed alerts are not being received through the service. alerts The method and system described above allows a victim of identity theft to receive assistance to address the theft by using, preferably, a case specialist 104 who acts with or on behalf of the client thereby making it easier for the client to recover from an incident of identity theft. Additionally, this reduces the need for the client to explain his situation repetitively. The embodiments of the present invention have now been described in compliance with the above objects. It will be appreciated that these examples are merely illustrative of the invention. Various variations and modifications will be apparent to those experts in the field.

Claims (10)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method comprising: electronically monitoring at least one account associated with a customer for potential fraudulent activity; identify potential fraudulent activity related to the account based on one or more fraud indicators; verify the identity of the client associated with the account; review a credit report with the client and a credit specialist, where the credit specialist associates with a credit bureau or a commercial bureau; and assist the customer to rectify the fraudulent activity. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification of potential fraudulent activity based on one or more fraud indicators comprises the use of a fraud registration system. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fraud indicators are indicators of the alert of a Known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS) and at least one Authorization Service by the Issuer (ICS). The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic monitoring comprises comparing the known fraudulent addresses in a known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS) database with an address in a new request filed by a client. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic monitoring comprises comparing the known fraudulent telephone numbers in a database of the Known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS) with a telephone number in a new application filed by a customer. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic monitoring of at least one account by potential fraudulent activity comprises monitoring by at least one of internal collusion, transaction activity, high-risk requests, account changes, check request balance transfer, credit, collusive credit bureau requests, billing address and billing address discrepancies, and requests from high risk store stores. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identity verification of the client associated with the account comprises having access to the account associated with the client and verifying the information of the client with the respective information in the account. The method according to claim 1, wherein the customer assistance to rectify the fraudulent activity comprises registering the discrepancies in the credit report. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assistance to the client to rectify the fraudulent activity comprises removing the discrepancies in the credit report. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assistance to the customer to rectify the fraudulent activity comprises assisting the client in contacting the creditors. eleven . A system for mitigating the effects of identity theft, the system comprising: a fraud detection unit configured to electronically monitor at least one account associated with a customer for potential fraudulent activity using one or more fraud indicators; a telephone network configured to allow communication between the client and a case specialist; and a computer network configured to provide access to the account information associated with the customer and access to a credit report associated with the customer, wherein the case specialist verifies the customer's identity using the account information, reviews the Credit report with the client and a credit specialist through the telephone network, and help the client to rectify the fraudulent activity. The system according to claim 1 wherein the credit specialist is associated with a credit bureau or a commercial bureau. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fraud indicators are indicators of the alert of a Known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS) and at least one Authorization Service by the Issuer (ICS). The system according to claim 1 1, where monitoring electronically involves comparing known fraudulent addresses in a Known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS) database with an address in a new application filed by a customer. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic monitoring comprises comparing the known fraudulent telephone numbers in a database of the Known Fraud Indicator System (KFIS) with a telephone number in a new application filed by a customer. . The system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic monitoring of at least one account by potential fraudulent activity comprises monitoring by at least one of internal collusion, transaction activity, high risk requests, account changes, check request balance transfer, credit, collusion credit bureau requests, billing address and billing address discrepancies, and requests from high-risk stores. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identity verification of the client associated with the account comprises accessing the account associated with the client and verifying the information of the client with the respective information in the account.