Aggregated Payment Fraud Detection Using Household Profiles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current transaction fraud systems monitor card activity at the individual card level, leading to limited views of spending patterns and potential missed fraudulent activities, resulting in poor consumer experiences and lost revenue. Additionally, the rise of online fraud through stolen passwords and device access complicates the protection of payment and device data.

Innovation Solution

Implementing automated fraud detection and analytics systems that aggregate transaction data from multiple payment vehicles and devices at the individual or household level, using a computing system to analyze transactions against fraud detection profiles, generate unique hash values, and notify financial institutions of potential fraudulent activities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If transaction monitoring is performed at the individual card level, then the system is simple to implement, but the view of spending patterns is limited and fraudulent activities may be missed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud detection accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple card-level transaction datasets into a unified household-level profile, merging data from different payment vehicles and devices to create a comprehensive view of spending patterns. This aggregation enables more accurate fraud detection by analyzing transactions across all cards and devices associated with a household, rather than isolating each card individually.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The household-level fraud detection profile serves multiple functions: it monitors transactions across multiple cards, analyzes device usage patterns, detects fraudulent activities, and provides a unified view of household spending behavior. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate monitoring systems for each card, reducing overall system complexity while improving detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If suspicious transactions are declined without confirmation, then fraudulent activities are blocked, but consumer experience deteriorates and revenue opportunities are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud prevention effectivenessVSAvoidconsumer transaction experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses household-level spending patterns as feedback to evaluate suspicious transactions. By comparing a transaction against the established household profile and spending behavior, the system can make more informed decisions about whether to approve or decline transactions, reducing false positives that harm consumer experience while maintaining fraud prevention effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of transactions against the household fraud detection profile before final approval or decline decisions. This preliminary action allows the system to identify obviously fraudulent transactions quickly while giving benefit of the doubt to transactions that align with household spending patterns, improving both fraud prevention and consumer experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If personal information is aggregated for fraud detection, then fraud detection accuracy improves, but user privacy concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespending pattern analysis accuracyVSAvoiduser privacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that aggregates transaction data and device information into household-level profiles without exposing raw personal information. This intermediary structure allows the system to analyze spending patterns and detect fraud while maintaining privacy by not requiring direct access to or storage of sensitive personal data, thus balancing detection accuracy with privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If multiple payment vehicles and devices are monitored, then comprehensive fraud detection is achieved, but data processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud detection comprehensivenessVSAvoiddata aggregation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments data collection and processing into distinct components: transaction data from multiple cards, device information from various devices, and household profile data. By segmenting these data streams and processing them through standardized pipelines, the system can comprehensively monitor multiple payment vehicles and devices while managing complexity through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11587089B2Systems and methods for automated fraud detection and analytics using aggregated payment vehicles and devices
Publication Date: 2023.02.21 WORLDPAY LLC
  • US11587089B2 patent drawing
  • US11587089B2 patent drawing
  • US11587089B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed for automated fraud detection and analytics using aggregated payment vehicles and devices, at the individual and/or household level. One method includes receiving an authorization request for a payment transaction originating at a merchant, using a first payment vehicle; receiving device information of a first device used in the payment transaction; retrieving transaction data and identifying information associated with the authorization request before the authorization request is routed to a financial institution; searching and determining payment vehicles and devices associated with the individual using the retrieved identifying information; aggregating transaction data associated with the payment vehicles and devices from the transaction database; retrieving reported fraudulent activities pertaining to the payment vehicles and devices; and generating a profile data for the individual according to the identifying information associated with the authorization request, personally identifiable information (PII), the aggregated transaction data, and reported fraudulent activities.