Methods and systems for verifying transactions

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention provides a computer-implemented method for verifying authorisation of a transaction. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a request to process an electronic transaction for a predetermined amount of money ( 215 ); dividing the predetermined amount into a plurality of charges ( 225 ); providing the plurality of charges to facilitate debiting of a financial instrument with each of the plurality of charges ( 235 ); receiving information relating to the plurality of charges from a user of the financial instrument after debiting of the charges ( 245 ); and verifying the transaction only if the information is correct ( 255 ).

1 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A computer-implemented method for operating a computer authentication system to authenticate an identity of a person, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the steps of:
 receiving, via an interface of the computer authentication system, a request from an originator of said request to process a single electronic transaction for a predetermined amount of money, said request comprising data identifying a particular financial instrument that is desired for use in the transaction;   determining, using a random number generator of the processor of the computer authentication system, a plurality of charges that divide the predetermined amount;   causing, by the processor of the computer authentication system, said financial instrument to be debited with each of said plurality of charges;   storing in a memory unit information relating to said plurality of charges;   receiving, via the interface of the computer authentication system, information relating to said plurality of charges from the originator of said request;   comparing said stored information to said received information; and   authenticating said identity of said person only if said stored information matches said received information.   
     
     
         46 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 45 , wherein the sum of said plurality of charges is equal to said predetermined amount of money. 
     
     
         47 . The computer method of  claim 45 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person comprises storing in the memory unit a unique identifier for said person. 
     
     
         48 . The computer method of  claim 47 , wherein the method further comprises, in the memory unit, storing associated with said unique identifier one or more of:
 IP address of said person,   email address of said person,   phone number of said person,   amounts of each of said plurality of charges,   electronic routable address of said person,   information relating to a device used by said person, and   Personal Identification Number (PIN) nominated by said person.   
     
     
         49 . The computer implemented method of  claim 45 , wherein
 authenticating said identity of said person is for the purpose of executing a contract or record.   
     
     
         50 . The computer method of  claim 45 , wherein said plurality of charges comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
 amount of each of said plurality of charges, and   number of said plurality of charges; and   
     
     
         51 . A computer authentication system for authenticating identity of a person, said computer authentication system comprising:
 a memory unit for storing data and program instructions;   an interface; and   at least one processor coupled to said memory unit, said at least one processor programmed to:   receive via the interface from an originator a request to process a single electronic transaction for a predetermined amount of money, said request comprising data identifying a particular financial instrument that is desired for use in the transaction;   determine using a random number generator a plurality of charges that divide the predetermined amount;   cause said financial instrument to be debited with each of said plurality of charges;   store in the memory unit information relating to said plurality of charges;   receive via the interface information relating to said plurality of charges from the originator of said request;   comparing said stored information to said received information; and   authenticate said identity of said person only if said stored information matches said received information.   
     
     
         52 . The computer system according to  claim 51 , wherein the sum of said plurality of charges is equal to said predetermined amount of money. 
     
     
         53 . The computer system of  claim 51 , wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to authenticate said identity of said person by storing in the memory unit a unique identifier for said person. 
     
     
         54 . The computer system of  claim 53 , wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to associate with said unique identifier in the memory unit one or more of:
 IP address of said person,   email address of said person,   phone number of said person,   amounts of each of said plurality of charges,   electronic routable address of said person,   information relating to a device used by said person, and   Personal Identification Number (PIN) nominated by said person.   
     
     
         55 . The computer system of  claim 51 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person is for the purpose of executing a contract or record. 
     
     
         56 . The computer system of  claim 51 , wherein said plurality of charges comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
 amount of each of said plurality of charges, and   number of said plurality of charges.   
     
     
         57 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing therein instructions that when performed by a processor to authenticate identity of a person, cause a computer authentication system to authenticate an identity of a person, the computer authentication system operable to:
 receive via the interface of the computer authentication system from an originator a request to process a single electronic transaction for a predetermined amount of money, said request comprising data identifying a particular financial instrument that is desired for use in the transaction;   determine using a random number generator of the processor of the computer authentication system a plurality of charges that divide the predetermined amount;   cause, by the processor of the computer authentication system, said financial instrument to be debited with each of said plurality of charges;   storing in a memory unit information relating to said plurality of charges;   receive, via the interface of the computer authentication system, information relating to said plurality of charges from the originator of said request;   comparing said stored information to said received information; and   authenticate said identity of said person only if said stored information matches said received information.   
     
     
         58 . The computer program product according to  claim 57 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer authentication system to determine said plurality of charges such that the sum of said plurality of charges is equal to said predetermined amount of money. 
     
     
         59 . The computer program product of  claim 57 , wherein said instructions further cause said computer authentication system to authenticate said identity of said person by storing in the memory unit a unique identifier for said person. 
     
     
         60 . The computer program product of  claim 59 , wherein said instructions further cause said computer authentication system to store associated with said unique identifier in the memory unit one or more of:
 IP address of said person,   email address of said person,   phone number of said person,   amounts of each of said plurality of charges,   electronic routable address of said person,   information relating to a device used by said person, and   Personal Identification Number (PIN) nominated by said person.   
     
     
         61 . The computer program product of  claim 57 , wherein authenticating said identify of said person is for the purpose of executing a contract or record. 
     
     
         62 . The computer program product of  claim 57 , wherein said plurality of charges comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
 amount of each of said plurality of charges, and   number of said plurality of charges.   
     
     
         63 . A computer-implemented method for operating a computer authentication system to authenticate an identity of a person, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the steps of:
 receiving, via an interface of the computer authentication system, a request to authenticate said identity of said person by a single electronic transaction using a financial instrument for a predetermined amount of money;   determining, using a random number generator of the processor of the computer authentication system, a plurality of charges that divide said predetermined amount;   providing, by the processor of the computer authentication system, said plurality of charges to facilitate debiting of a financial instrument with each of said plurality of charges;   storing in a memory unit information relating to said plurality of charges;   receiving, via the interface of the computer authentication system, information relating to said plurality of charges, said information originating from a user of said financial instrument after said plurality of charges has been debited to said financial instrument;   comparing said stored information to said received information; and   authenticating said identity of said person only if said stored information matches said received information.   
     
     
         64 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein the sum of said plurality of charges is equal to said predetermined amount of money. 
     
     
         65 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein the computer authentication system performing the computer-implemented method is provided with insufficient information to enable identification of said financial instrument. 
     
     
         66 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 63 , comprising the further step of storing in the memory unit a currency exchange rate associated with said transaction. 
     
     
         67 . The computer method of  claim 63 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person comprises storing in the memory unit a unique identifier for said person. 
     
     
         68 . The computer method of  claim 67 , wherein the method further comprising, in the memory unit, storing associated with said unique identifier one or more of:
 IP address of said person,   email address of said person,   phone number of said person,   amounts of each of said plurality of charges,   electronic routable address of said person,   information relating to a device used by said person, and   Personal Identification Number (PIN) nominated by said person.   
     
     
         69 . The computer implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person is for the purpose of executing a contract or record. 
     
     
         70 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein said information relating to said plurality of charges comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
 amount of each of said plurality of charges, and   number of said plurality of charges.   
     
     
         71 . A computer authentication system for authenticating identity of a person, said computer authentication system comprising:
 a memory for storing data and program instructions;   an interface; and   at least one processor coupled to said memory, said at least one processor programmed to:   receive a request to authenticate said identity of said person by a single electronic transaction using a financial instrument for a predetermined amount of money;   determine using a random number generator a plurality of charges that divide said predetermined amount;   provide said plurality of charges to facilitate debiting of said financial instrument with each of said plurality of charges;   store in the memory unit information relating to said plurality of charges;   receive information relating to said plurality of charges, said information originating from a user of said financial instrument after said plurality of charges has been debited to said financial instrument;   comparing said stored information to said received information; and   authenticate said identity of said person only if said stored information matches said received information.   
     
     
         72 . The computer system according to  claim 71 , wherein the sum of said plurality of charges is equal to said predetermined amount of money. 
     
     
         73 . The computer system of  claim 71 , wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to authenticate said identity of said person by storing in the memory unit a unique identifier for said person. 
     
     
         74 . The computer system of  claim 71 , wherein said at least one processor is further programmed to associate with said unique identifier in the memory unit one or more of:
 IP address of said person,   email address of said person,   phone number of said person,   amounts of each of said plurality of charges,   electronic routable address of said person,   information relating to a device used by said person, and   Personal Identification Number (PIN) nominated by said person.   
     
     
         75 . The computer system of  claim 73 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person is for the purpose of executing a contract or record. 
     
     
         76 . The computer system of  claim 71 , wherein said plurality of charges comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
 amount of each of said plurality of charges, and   number of said plurality of charges.   
     
     
         77 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing therein instructions that when performed by a processor to authenticate identity of a person, cause a computer authentication system to:
 receive via an interface of the computer authentication system a request to authenticate said identity of said person by a single electronic transaction using a financial instrument for a predetermined amount of money;   determine, using a random number generator of the processor of the computer authentication system, a plurality of charges that divide said predetermined amount;   provide by the processor of the computer authentication system said plurality of charges to facilitate debiting of said financial instrument with each of said plurality of charges;   storing in a memory unit information relating to said plurality of charges;   receive information relating to said plurality of charges, said information originating from a user of said financial instrument after said plurality of charges has been debited to said financial instrument;   comparing said stored information to said received information; and   authenticate said identity of said person only if said stored information matches said received information.   
     
     
         78 . The computer program product of  claim 77 , wherein the sum of said plurality of charges is equal to said predetermined amount of money. 
     
     
         79 . The computer program product of  claim 77 , wherein said instructions further cause said computer to authenticate said identity of said person by storing in the memory unit a unique identifier for said person. 
     
     
         80 . The computer program product of  claim 79 , wherein said instructions further cause said computer to store associated with said unique identifier in the memory unit one or more of:
 IP address of said person,   email address of said person,   phone number of said person,   amounts of each of said plurality of charges,   electronic routable address of said person,   information relating to a device used by said person, and   Personal Identification Number (PIN) nominated by said person.   
     
     
         81 . The computer program product of  claim 77 , wherein
 authenticating said identity of said person is for the purpose of executing a contract or record.   
     
     
         82 . The computer program product of  claim 77 , wherein said plurality of charges comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
 amount of each of said plurality of charges, and   number of said plurality of charges.   
     
     
         83 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 45 , wherein said information received from the originator of said request comprises the amount of each of said plurality of charges each modified by a single currency exchange rate, and said method comprises the further steps of:
 converting, by the processor of the computer authentication system, each of said plurality of charges to a respective charge ratio by dividing each of said plurality of charges by the predetermined amount;   storing in the memory unit each of said charge ratios;   converting, by the processor of the computer authentication system, each of said received amount of each of said plurality of charges to a respective value ratio by dividing each of said received amount of each of said plurality of charges by the sum of said received amount of each of said plurality of charges,   wherein comparing said received information from the originator of said request to said stored information relating to said plurality of charges comprises comparing said value ratios to said stored charge ratios,   wherein said received information matches said received information if each of said value ratios matches a respective said stored charge ratio within a predefined margin of error.   
     
     
         84 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein said received information received from said user comprises the amount of each of said a-plurality of each modified by a single currency exchange rate, and said method comprises the further steps of:
 converting, by the processor of the computer authentication system, each of said plurality of charges to a respective charge ratio by dividing each of said plurality of charges by the predetermined amount;   storing in the memory unit each of said charge ratios;   converting, by the processor of the computer authentication system, each of said received amount of each of said plurality of charges to a respective value ratio by dividing each of said received amount of each of said plurality of charges by the sum of said received amount of each of said plurality of charges,   wherein comparing said received information from said user to said stored information relating to said plurality of charges comprises comparing said value ratios to said stored charge ratios,   wherein said received information matches said received information if each of said value ratios matches a respective said stored charge ratio within a predefined margin of error.   
     
     
         85 . A computer-implemented method of  claim 49 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person is for an electronic signature associated with said contract or record. 
     
     
         86 . A computer implemented method of  claim 45 , wherein said information comprises the amount of each of said plurality of charges that represent one time keys. 
     
     
         87 . A computer-implemented method of  claim 45 , wherein the method is applied to individual transactions. 
     
     
         88 . A computer-implemented method of  claim 69 , wherein authenticating said identity of said person is for an electronic signature associated with said contract or record. 
     
     
         89 . A computer implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein said information comprises the amount of each of said plurality of charges that represent one time keys. 
     
     
         90 . A computer-implemented method of  claim 63 , wherein the method is applied to individual transactions.