Management of biometric information

Abstract

Fraud risk is monitored in financial transactions. Biometric information is received over the communications interface configured to exchange data with multiple distinct financial institutions. The received biometric information is compared with a database of biometric information to identify an individual. A fraud-detection analysis is performed on the financial transaction information associated with the individual. The financial transaction information associated with the individual is identified as suspicious in accordance with a result of the fraud-detection analysis. The biometric parameters associated with the individual are designated as associated with suspicious financial activity.

1 . A system for monitoring fraud risk in financial transactions, the system comprising: 
 a communications interface configured to exchange data between the system and a plurality of distinct financial institutions;    a storage device maintaining a database of biometric information associating biometric parameters with identified individuals and maintaining a database of financial transaction information associated with the individuals;    a processor in communication with the communications interface and with the storage device; and    a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for operating the system to monitor fraud risk in financial transactions, the computer-readable program comprising: 
 instructions for receiving biometric information over the communications interface;  
 instructions for comparing the received biometric information with the database of biometric information to identify an individual;  
 instructions for performing a fraud-detection analysis on the financial transaction information associated with the individual;  
 instructions for identifying the financial transaction information associated with the individual as suspicious in accordance with a result of the fraud-detection analysis; and  
 instructions for designating the biometric parameters associated with the individual as associated with suspicious financial activity.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the individual comprises an employee of one of the plurality of distinct financial institutions.  
     
     
         3 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the computer-readable program further comprises instructions for transmitting a warning over the communications system that the biometric parameters associated with the individual have been designated as associated with suspicious financial activity.  
     
     
         4 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the received biometric information comprises raw biometric data.  
     
     
         5 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the received biometric information comprises derived biometric parameters.  
     
     
         6 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the instructions for receiving biometric information over the communications interface further comprise instructions for receiving at least part of a commercial transaction request over the communications interface.  
     
     
         7 . The system recited in  claim 6  wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for transmitting a denial of the commercial transaction request over the communications interface.  
     
     
         8 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of distinct financial institutions comprise a bank.  
     
     
         9 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of distinct financial institutions comprise a money-transfer organization.  
     
     
         10 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the instructions for receiving biometric information over the communications interface comprise instructions for receiving biometric information from one of the plurality of distinct financial institutions.  
     
     
         11 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein: 
 the communications interface is further configured to exchange data between the system and a plurality of distinct merchants; and    the instructions for receiving biometric information over the communications interface comprise instructions for receiving biometric information from one of the plurality of distinct merchants.    
     
     
         12 . The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the computer-readable program further includes: 
 instructions for receiving second biometric information over the communications interface;    instructions for comparing the received second biometric information with the database of biometric information to identify a second individual; and    instructions for returning details of the financial transaction information associated with the second individual over the communications interface.    
     
     
         13 . A system for managing biometric information, the system comprising: 
 a communications interface configured to exchange data between the system and a plurality of distinct financial institutions;    a storage device maintaining a database of biometric information associating biometric parameters with identified individuals and maintaining a database of financial transaction information associated with the individuals;    a processor in communication with the communications interface and with the storage device;    and a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for operating the system to manage biometric information, the computer-readable program comprising: 
 instructions for receiving biometric information over the communications interface;  
 instructions for comparing the received biometric information with the database of biometric information to identify an individual;  
 instructions for performing an analysis on the financial transaction information associated with the individual;  
 instructions for identifying the financial transaction information associated with the individual as favorable in accordance with a result of the analysis; and  
 instructions for designating the biometric parameters associated with the individual as associated with favorable financial activity.  
   
     
     
         14 . The system recited in  claim 13  wherein the individual comprises an employee of one of the plurality of distinct financial institutions.  
     
     
         15 . The system recited in  claim 13  wherein the received biometric information comprises raw biometric data.  
     
     
         16 . The system recited in  claim 13  wherein the received biometric information comprises derived biometric parameters.  
     
     
         17 . The system recited in  claim 13  wherein the computer-readable program further includes: 
 instructions for receiving second biometric information over the communications interface;    instructions for comparing the received second biometric information with the database of biometric information to identify a second individual; and    instructions for returning details of the financial transaction information associated with the second individual over the communications interface.    
     
     
         18 . A system for managing the use of biometric information, the system comprising: 
 a communications interface configured to exchange data between the system and a plurality of distinct financial institutions, each of the distinct financial institutions maintaining a data store of biometric information associating biometric parameters with identified individuals and maintaining a database of financial transaction information associated with the individuals;    a storage device maintaining records identifying, for each of a plurality of individuals, which of the plurality of distinct financial institutions maintains the data store of biometric information associating biometric parameters with the each of the plurality of individuals;    a processor in communication with the communications interface and with the storage device; and    a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for operating the system to manage the use of biometric information, the computer-readable program comprising: 
 instructions for receiving biometric information and a purported identity of a specified individual over the communications interface from a requesting party;  
 instructions for using the records maintained on the storage device to identify which of the plurality of distinct financial institutions maintains the data store of biometric information associating biometric parameters with the specified individual;  
 instructions for routing the received biometric information to the identified financial institution;  
 instructions for receiving results of a comparison of the received biometric information and the biometric parameters associated with the specified individual; and  
 instructions for transmitting the results over the communications interface to the requesting party.  
   
     
     
         19 . The system recited in  claim 18  wherein the specified individual comprises an employee of one of the plurality of distinct financial institutions.  
     
     
         20 . The system recited in  claim 18  wherein the received biometric information comprises raw biometric data.  
     
     
         21 . The system recited in  claim 18  wherein the received biometric information comprises derived biometric parameters.