Forensic Transaction Record Linking for Suspect Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Online transactions lack effective methods for maintaining records that facilitate forensic investigations, as they often involve scarce data about the true individual making the transaction, making it difficult to trace fraudulent or illegal activities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve receiving and storing identifiers associated with online transactions, obtaining evidentiary information about end user equipment, and storing records in a database for later retrieval, allowing for identification of suspects and investigation of transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If online transactions are conducted using distributed Internet infrastructure, then transaction accessibility and convenience are improved, but traceability and forensic investigability deteriorate due to scarce data about the true individual making the transaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing evidentiary information about end-user equipment (IP addresses, device identifiers, location data) at the time of transaction occurrence. This advance preparation ensures that when forensic investigations are needed later, the necessary traceability data is already preserved and associated with the transaction records, resolving the contradiction between convenient distributed transactions and later traceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary forensic investigation system that acts as a mediator between the distributed transaction infrastructure and law enforcement agencies. This intermediary collects, preserves, and manages evidentiary information from multiple sources (transaction logs, device identifiers, location data) and makes it accessible to investigators, thereby restoring traceability without disrupting the convenience of online transactions.
2Ease of operation
If conventional transaction investigation methods are used, then investigation simplicity is maintained, but effectiveness deteriorates due to inability to trace online transactions to true individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The forensic investigation system is segmented into distinct functional modules: evidence collection from transaction logs, device identifier extraction, location data retrieval, and investigator access interfaces. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks while maintaining overall system simplicity. Investigators can access pre-processed evidentiary information through standardized interfaces without needing to navigate complex distributed systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of relevant evidentiary information (transaction records, device identifiers, location data) and stores them in centralized databases accessible to investigators. Rather than requiring investigators to access and reconstruct data from multiple distributed sources, the system preserves replicated copies of critical evidence, maintaining investigation simplicity while dramatically improving effectiveness through reliable access to traceability data.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, comprising: receiving a first identifier associated with an online transaction and a second identifier used by end user equipment involved in the online transaction; obtaining evidentiary information pertaining to the end user equipment based on the second identifier; storing in a database a record that associates the first identifier with the evidentiary information; and retrieving one of (i) the evidentiary information in said record and (ii) the first identifier in response to a request identifying the other of (i) the evidentiary information in said record and (ii) the first identifier. Where the online transaction is effected over a network after the end user equipment has gained access thereto, the evidentiary information may include information pertaining to a subscriber whose credentials were used by the end user equipment to gain access to the network. The information pertaining to the subscriber may include personal information about the subscriber. Alternatively, the evidentiary information may include location information.