Method, system, and apparatus for verifying employment via a plurality of data sources

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for verifying employment of a first user with a computer system programmed to perform the method includes receiving a first name for a user-represented employer via a user-application, receiving a first plurality of social network data associated with the first user from a first social network server, wherein the first plurality of social network data includes a second name associated with an user-represented employer via a user-profile on the first social network, determining a relationship between the employer associated with the first name and the employer associated with the second name, in response to the first name and to the second name, determining an employment verification indicator in response to the relationship between the employer associated with the first name to the employer associated to the second name and outputting with the computer system, the employment verification indicator.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for verifying employment of a user with a computer system programmed to perform the method, comprising:
 receiving with the computer system, a first plurality of employment-related data associated with the user;   determining with the computer system, a first identifier associated with a first organization from the first plurality of employment-related data received;   receiving with the computer system, a second plurality of employment-related data associated with the user;   determining with the computer system, a second identifier associated with a second organization from the second plurality of employment-related data received;   determining with the computer system, a first relationship between the first organization and the second organization based on the first and second identifiers;   determining with the computer system, an employment verification indicator based on the first relationship.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of employment-related data is selected from a group consisting of:
 IP address associated with the user; a first social network profile associated with the user; bank account depository data associated with the user; a form submission by the user; a work e-mail address of the user, a work telephone number of the user; a publically-available data source; a pull down menu with employment related data; a fee-based data source; and a work-related document.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of employment-related data is selected from a group consisting of:
 IP address associated with the user; a first social network profile associated with the user; bank account depository data associated with the user; a form submission by the user; a work e-mail address of the user, a work telephone number of the user; a publically-available data source; a pull down menu with employment related data; a fee-based data source; and a work-related document.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first plurality of employment-related data comprises a social network profile of the user associated with a social network; and   wherein determining with the computer system, the first identifier associated with the first organization comprises:   receiving with the computer system, an OAuth token from the user to access the social network;   requesting with the computer system, the first plurality of employment-related data from the social network by sending the OAuth token received along with one or more API or XML calls to the social network;   receiving with the computer system, the first plurality of employment-related data from the social network; and   determining with the computer system, the first identifier from the first plurality of employment-related data received from the social network.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the second plurality of employment-related data comprises an IP address associated with the user; and   wherein determining with the computer system, the second identifier associated with the second organization comprises:   providing with the computer system, the IP address associated with the user to a remote look-up server for determining the second identifier; and   receiving with the computer system, the second identifier associated with the second organization from the remote look-up server.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the second plurality of employment-related data comprises an identity of a financial account depositor associated with the user; and   wherein determining with the computer system, the second identifier associated with the second organization comprises:   providing with the computer system, identity information of the user to a third-party server;   receiving with the computer system, transaction details of a financial account deposit to a particular financial account depositor associated with the user, from the third-party server; and   determining with the computer system, the second identifier associated with the first organization based on the transaction details.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the employment verification indicator is determined to be less than a threshold, the method further comprises:
 receiving with the computer system, a third plurality of employment-related data associated with the user;   determining with the computer system, a third identifier associated with a third organization from the third plurality of employment-related data received;   determining with the computer system, a second relationship between the first organization and the third organization based on the first and third identifiers; and   determining with the computer system, the employment verification indicator based on the second relationship.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the employment verification indicator is determined to be less than a threshold, the method further comprises:
 determining with the computer system, a telephone number associated with the first organization from a database; and   outputting with the computer system, a report comprising an identifying name associated with the user, the first identifier associated with the first organization, and the telephone number, to a verification provider.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein when the employment verification indicator is determined to be less than a threshold, the method further comprises:
 outputting with the computer system, a report comprising an identifying name associated with the user and the first identifier associated with the first organization to a verification provider. 
 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first plurality of employment-related data comprises employment information from a user-application, and wherein the second plurality of employment-related data comprises interest-group membership information, the method further comprises:
 determining with the computer system, an association between the employment information and the interest-group membership information; and 
 determining with the computer system, based on the association, an interaction level of the user within an interest group identified from the interest-group membership information; and 
 wherein the employment verification indicator is also determined based on the interaction level. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the interest group is selected from a group consisting of:
 a fraternal organization, a ham radio group, a religious organization, a teachers' organization, a union, a fitness group, a professional organization.   
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable medium for verifying employment of a user, comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed causes a processor to:
 receive a first plurality of employment-related data associated with the user;   determine a first identifier associated with a first organization from the first plurality of employment-related data received;   receive a second plurality of employment-related data associated with the user;   determine a second identifier associated with a second organization from the second plurality of employment-related data received;   determine a first relationship between the first organization and the second organization based on the first and second identifiers;   determine an employment verification indicator based on the first relationship; and   to output the employment verification indicator.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , further comprising computer-executable instructions programmed to:
 output the employment verification indicator on a graphical user interface (GUI); and   determine a specification of the GUI.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first plurality of employment-related data comprises a social network profile of the user associated with a social network, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions programmed to:
 receive an OAuth token from the user to access the social network; 
 request the first plurality of employment-related data from the social network by sending the OAuth token received along with one or more API or XML calls to the social network; 
 receive the first plurality of employment-related data from the social network; and 
 determine the first identifier from the first plurality of employment-related data received from the social network. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the second plurality of employment-related data comprises an identity of a financial account depositor associated with the user, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions programmed to:
 provide identity information of the user to a third-party server; 
 receive transaction details of a financial account deposit to a particular financial account depositor associated with the user, from the third-party server; and 
 determine the second identifier associated with the first organization based on the transaction details. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein, when the employment verification indicator is determined to be less than a threshold, the computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions programmed to:
 receive a third plurality of employment-related data associated with the user;   determine a third identifier associated with a third organization from the third plurality of employment-related data received;   determine a second relationship between the first organization and the third organization based on the first and third identifiers; and   determine the employment verification indicator based on the second relationship.   
     
     
         17 . A computing device for verifying employment of a user, comprising:
 an input mechanism to receive a user selection of a employment-related data source;   
       a display; and
 a processor configured to:
 determine an employment verification indicator based on the user selection of the employment-related data source; and 
 generate, via the display, a graphical user interface for presenting the employment verification indicator. 
 
 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the employment verification indicator is determined based on the user selection of at least two employment-related data sources. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 display a flag for a particular employment-related data source to indicate that the particular employment-related data source negatively impacts the employment verification indicator.   
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the input mechanism is further to receive a view request to view contents of a particular employment-related data source, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
 derive the contents from the particular employment-related data source; and   present the contents on the graphical user interface.