Retail Fraud Monitoring Alerts Based on Illicit Behavior Severity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fraud detection systems in retail environments are inadequate in responding promptly to illicit customer behaviors, as they do not consider the scale of damage and maliciousness of such actions effectively.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that includes detection, determination, and output circuitry to identify illicit behaviors, determine their severity based on predefined criteria, and alert in-store personnel accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing fraud detection systems evaluate customer behavior based on item pickup and registration counts, then fraud detection capability is provided, but response timeliness and flexibility to varying scales of damage are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud detection capabilityVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary classification of illicit behavior types and pre-sets response priorities before actual incidents occur. Detection circuitry is pre-configured to recognize different behavior patterns (theft, vandalism, shoplifting) and assign priority levels, enabling immediate appropriate response without time-consuming analysis when incidents are detected

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts detection sensitivity and response priorities based on the type and severity of detected behavior. Rather than using fixed thresholds, the system adapts its evaluation criteria according to the specific illicit behavior detected, allowing flexible response scaling from minor infractions to serious crimes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If uniform fraud detection criteria are applied to all customers, then simplicity is maintained, but inability to differentiate between first-time and repeat offenders reduces effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection system simplicityVSAvoiddetection effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The detection system segments customers into different categories based on their illicit behavior history and current behavior type. Rather than treating all customers uniformly, the system divides them into groups (first-time offenders, repeat offenders, different behavior types) and applies differentiated evaluation criteria and response priorities to each segment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different detection thresholds and response priorities are applied to different customer segments and behavior types. The system applies localized quality control by tailoring the strictness of detection criteria to the specific risk level and behavior pattern of each customer group, rather than using a single uniform standard

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Speed

If immediate alerts are sent for every detected illicit behavior, then response speed is improved, but false alarms from minor infractions increase operational burden

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealert response speedVSAvoidoperational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by sending immediate alerts only for serious illicit behaviors that meet predetermined priority thresholds, rather than alerting for every detected infraction. Minor infractions are monitored and logged but do not trigger immediate alerts, avoiding unnecessary operational burden while maintaining rapid response for critical incidents

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4654114A1Information processing system, program, and monitoring method
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 GLORY LTD
  • EP4654114A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4654114A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4654114A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An information processing system includes: illicit behavior detection circuitry configured to detect illicit behavior by a customer regarding purchase of items at a store; determination circuitry configured to determine whether the amount of illicit behavior by the customer detected by the illicit behavior detection circuitry satisfies a predetermined criterion; and first output circuitry configured to, in response to the determination circuitry determining that the amount of illicit behavior by the customer satisfies the criterion, output a first alert to an in-store terminal, the first alert indicating occurrence of the illicit behavior.