Card false-positive prevention

Abstract

A method for authenticating a transaction is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: receiving data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested; receiving data identifying a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction; determining from Location Register (LR) data for the mobile communication device data identifying a region where the mobile communication device is located; comparing the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested with the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located; and authenticating the transaction in dependence on the result of the comparison.

1 . A method for authenticating a transaction comprising the steps of:
 receiving data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested;   determining from Location Register (LR) data for a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction data identifying a region where the mobile communication device is located;   comparing the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested with the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located; and   authenticating the transaction in dependence on the result of the comparison.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of receiving data identifying a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of receiving the Location Register data for the mobile device associated with the person requesting the transaction. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2  in which the data identifying the mobile communication device associated with the person requesting the transaction is used to determine the region where the mobile communication device is located from the LR data. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of extracting the data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested from transaction data received from a means for carrying out a transaction by searching transaction data. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located is determined from Home Location Register data or Visitor Location Register data. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the LR data is received from a mobile network aggregator storing LR data of a plurality of mobile devices registered with different mobile service providers. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the transaction occurs between two regions. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1  in which the transaction occurs within a single region. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1  in which the data identifying a region where a mobile communication device is located comprises Mobile Country Code (MCC) data or data identifying a state or a city. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1  in which the data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested comprises transaction country data or data identifying a state or a city. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of allowing the transaction if the transaction is determined to be authentic. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1  in which the transaction is determined to be authentic if the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested matches the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of declining the transaction if the transaction is determined not to be authentic. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1  in which the transaction is not determined to be authentic if the data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested does not match the data identifying a region where a mobile communication device is located. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14  further comprising the step of establishing a connection between the mobile communication device of the user requesting the transaction and the service provider of the transaction and preferably where the connection is via real-time voice telephony or via short message service (SMS). 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 1  in which the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested and in particular the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located are received from a financial service provider or from a means for carrying out the transaction. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of controlling a means for carrying out a transaction in dependence upon the result of the comparison. 
     
     
         19 . A method for deriving probability data relating to the validity of a requested financial transaction comprising the steps of:
 receiving data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested;   determining from Location Register (LR) data for a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction data identifying a region where the mobile communication device is located;   comparing the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested with the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located; and   determining probability data relating to the validity of the requested transaction in dependence on the result of the comparison.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  further comprising the step of receiving data identifying a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus for authenticating a transaction comprising:
 means for receiving data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested;   means for determining from Location Register (LR) data for a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction data identifying a region where the mobile communication device is located;   means for comparing the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested with the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located; and   means for authenticating the transaction in dependence on the result of the comparison.   
     
     
         22 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising means for receiving data identifying a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction. 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the Location Register data for the mobile device associated with the person requesting the transaction is received from a mobile network service provider. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus according to  claim 22  in which the data identifying the mobile communication device associated with the person requesting the transaction is used to determine the region where the mobile communication device is located from the LR data. 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising means for extracting the data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested from transaction data received from a means for carrying out a transaction by searching transaction data. 
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located is determined from Home Location Register data or Visitor Location Register data. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a mobile network aggregator storing LR details of a plurality of mobile devices registered with different mobile service providers. 
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the data identifying a region where a mobile communication device is located comprises Mobile Country Code (MCC) data or data identifying a state or a city. 
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a means for allowing the transaction if the transaction is determined to be authentic. 
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the transaction is determined to be authentic if the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested matches the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located. 
     
     
         31 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the transaction is not determined to be authentic if the data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested does not match the data identifying a region where a mobile communication device is located. 
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to  claim 30  further comprising means for establishing a connection between the mobile communication device of the user requesting the transaction and a service provider of the transaction. 
     
     
         33 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested and in particular the data identifying the region where the mobile communication device is located are received from a financial service provider or from a means for carrying out the transaction. 
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising means for connecting in particular via real-time voice telephony or via short message service (SMS) the mobile device of the person requesting the transaction to a transaction service provider. 
     
     
         35 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising a controller for controlling a means for carrying out a transaction in dependence upon the result of the comparison. 
     
     
         36 . Apparatus for deriving probability data relating to the validity of requested financial transaction comprising:
 means for receiving data identifying a region where a transaction is being requested;   means for determining from Location Register (LR) data for a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction data identifying a region where the mobile communication device is located;   means for comparing the data identifying the region where the transaction is being requested with the data identifying the region where from the mobile communication device is located; and   means for determining probability data relating to the validity of the requested transaction in dependence on the result of the comparison.   
     
     
         37 . Apparatus according to  claim 36  further comprising means for receiving data identifying a mobile communication device associated with a person requesting the transaction.