Methods and a system for detecting fraud in betting and lottery games

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a method to detect fraud includes a) receiving by the computer system from a source information regarding a plurality of played coupons for at least one game, wherein the plurality of played coupons comprises at least one first coupon; b) populating by the computer system a two-dimensional array for each played game from the received information, wherein the at least one two-dimensional array holds aggregated game statistics, c) storing by the computer system the at least one two-dimensional array with in a data structure; d) scanning, using the received information for the at least one first coupon, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; and e) generating, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one first coupon.

1 . A method to detect fraud performed in a computing system, the method comprising:
 a) receiving by the computer system from at least one source information regarding a plurality of played coupons for at least one game, wherein the plurality of played coupons comprises at least one first coupon and at least one second coupon;   b) populating by the computer system at least one two-dimensional array for each played game from the received information,
 i) wherein the at least one two-dimensional array holds aggregated game statistics, and 
 ii) wherein the aggregate statistics is user-defined and comprises:
 1) an identity of the at least one source, 
 2) the received information for the plurality of played coupons, and 
 3) at least one of:
 a) a frequency of at least one played amount, 
 b) a number of cancelled coupons, 
 c) a maximum coupon value played, and 
 d) a maximum number of combinations per the at least 
 
 
 one first coupon and the at least one second coupon; 
   c) storing by the computer system the at least one two-dimensional array with in at least one data structure;   d) scanning, using the received information for the at least one first coupon, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern;   e) generating, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one first coupon;   f) scanning, using the received information for the at least one second coupon, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; and   g) generating, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one second coupon.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a ratio of a coupon gross amount for a random player to a total gross amount for all players in the at least one game exceeds a predetermined ratio amount. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of scanning by the computer system further comprises:
 identifying by the computer system a first suspected coupon and a second suspected coupon, wherein a suspected coupon is the at least one played coupon whose played amount exceeds a predetermined played threshold amount;   hashing by the computer system the aggregate statistics regarding the first suspected coupon to generate a first hash value;   hashing by the computer system the aggregate statistics regarding the second suspected coupon to generate a second hash value;   aggregating by the computer system the first and the second hash values when a length of the first hash value differs from a length of the second hash value by less than a predefined difference number; and   scanning, when a length of the first hash value differs from a length of the second hash value by less than a predefined difference number, by the computer system the aggregate statistics regarding the first and the second suspected coupons, wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is a presence of similar betting combinations from the same at least one agent.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is a presence of similar betting combinations from at least two agents. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a frequency of cancellations for the at least one agent exceeds a predetermined cancellation frequency threshold number. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a percentage of participation in the at least one game during a sampled time period to a total participation in the at least one game exceeds a predetermined participation percentage. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when the at least one played coupon includes bets for all played combinations in the at least one played coupon. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a plurality of the played coupons sold by the same agent include bets having the same amount placed for all played combinations. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a plurality of the played coupons sold by a plurality of the agents include bets having the same amount placed for all played combinations. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a plurality of the played coupons sold by the same agent include bets having the same amount placed for all played combinations. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a plurality of the played coupons sold by a plurality of the agents include bets having the same amount placed for all played combinations. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a plurality of the played coupons sold by the same agent include bets having amounts that are less than a limit amount by less than a predetermined deviation amount. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when the at least one played coupon is a winning coupon and wherein the winning coupon is received for payment during a predetermined period prior to an expiration date of the wining coupon. 
     
     
         14 . A method to detect fraud performed in a computing system, the method comprising:
 a) receiving by the computer system from at least one source information about a plurality of transactions regarding at least one game, wherein the plurality of transactions comprises at least one first transaction and at least one second transaction;   b) populating by the computer system at least one two-dimensional array for each player with information from the received plurality of transactions,
 i) wherein the at least one two-dimensional array holds aggregated game statistics regarding each player's participation in a particular game during at least one period of time, and 
 ii) wherein the aggregate statistics is user-defined and comprises a distribution of cash in—cash out amounts per each play type played by the player, wherein the distribution is based on:
 1) an amount of each transaction; 
 2) a largest amount from all cash in—cash out amounts; 
 3) a total number of transactions whose value was within a predetermined range; and 
 4) at least one transaction whose value was required official approval; 
 
   c) storing by the computer system the at least one two-dimensional array in at least one data structure;   d) scanning, using the received information for the at least one first transaction, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern;   e) generating, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one first transaction;   f) scanning, using the received information for the at least one second transaction, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; and   e) generating, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one second transaction.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is based on a number of times and on a frequency with which a cash in-cash out amount correlated with a particular play type and winnings 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern relates to the player's usage of at least one bank account and at least one credit card account and is based on at least one of:
 i) the amount of each transactions;   ii) a type of the usage;   iii) a frequency of the usage; and   iv) a frequency of change the at least one bank account or at least one credit card account.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern relates to a frequency of changing player's profile and is based on a similarity between an old and a new profiles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one abnormal pattern is when a number of changes to the player's profile exceeds a predetermined change number for at least one the following categories of the personal information:
 a) password change frequency,   b) credit card numbers or pointers to credit card numbers,   c) account block or exclude, and   d) play cancellation and amount of cancellation   
     
     
         19 . A programmed computer for detecting fraud, the programmed computer comprising:
 memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code; and   a processor for executing the program code stored in the memory, wherein the program code comprises:
 a) code to receive by the computer system from at least one source information regarding a plurality of played coupons for at least one game, wherein the plurality of played coupons comprises at least one first coupon and at least one second coupon; 
 b) code to populate by the computer system at least one two-dimensional array for each played game from the received information,
 i) wherein the at least one two-dimensional array holds aggregated game statistics, and 
 ii) wherein the aggregate statistics is user-defined and comprises:
 1) an identity of the at least one source, 
 2) the received information for the plurality of played coupons, and 
 3) at least one of: 
  a) a frequency of at least one played amount, 
  b) a number of cancelled coupons, 
  c) a maximum coupon value played, and 
  d) a maximum number of combinations per the at least one first coupon and the at least one second coupon; 
 
 
 c) code to store by the computer system the at least one two-dimensional array with in at least one data structure; 
 d) code to scan, using the received information for the at least one first coupon, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; 
 e) code to generate, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one first coupon; 
 f) code to scan, using the received information for the at least one second coupon, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; and 
 g) code to generate, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one second coupon. 
   
     
     
         20 . A programmed computer for detecting fraud, the programmed computer comprising:
 memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code; and   a processor for executing the program code stored in the memory, wherein the program code comprises:
 a) code to receive by the computer system from at least one source information about a plurality of transactions regarding at least one game, wherein the plurality of transactions comprises at least one first transaction and at least one second transaction; 
 b) code to populate by the computer system at least one two-dimensional array for each player with information from the received plurality of transactions,
 i) wherein the at least one two-dimensional array holds aggregated game statistics regarding each player's participation in a particular game during at least one period of time, and 
 ii) wherein the aggregate statistics is user-defined and comprises a distribution of cash in—cash out amounts per each play type played by the player, wherein the distribution is based on:
 1) an amount of each transaction; 
 2) a largest amount from all cash in—cash out amounts; 
 3) a total number of transactions whose value was within a predetermined range; and 
 4) at least one transaction whose value was required official approval; 
 
 
 c) code to store by the computer system the at least one two-dimensional array in at least one data structure; 
 d) code to scan, using the received information for the at least one first transaction, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; 
 e) code to generate, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one first transaction; 
 f) code to scan, using the received information for the at least one second transaction, by the computer system the at least one data structure to identify at least one abnormal pattern; and 
 e) code to generate, when the at least one abnormal pattern is identified, by the computer system an alert prior to a payout on the at least one second transaction.