Detecting fraudulent mobile payments

Abstract

A method for processing an attempted payment made using a mobile device includes receiving information about the attempted payment, receiving data indicative of a behavior of a user of the mobile device at the time of the attempted payment, computing a likelihood that the attempted payment is fraudulent, based on a comparison of the behavior of the user to an historical behavior pattern of the user, and sending an instruction indicating how to proceed with the attempted payment, based on the likelihood.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing an attempted payment made using a mobile device, the method comprising:
 receiving information about the attempted payment;   receiving data indicative of a behavior of a user of the mobile device at the time of the attempted payment, wherein the behavior comprises an interaction of the user with the mobile device;   receiving data indicative of a transaction related to the attempted payment;   receiving data indicative of a riskiness of the attempted payment;   computing a likelihood that the attempted payment is fraudulent, based at least in part on a comparison of the behavior of the user to an historical behavior pattern of the user, a comparison of the transaction to the historical transaction pattern of the user, and a comparison of the riskiness to the historical risk pattern of the user; and   sending an instruction indicating how to proceed with the attempted payment, based on the likelihood.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of the behavior of the user comprises data obtained from a sensor integrated in the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical behavior pattern describes a pattern of interaction between the user and the mobile device while the user uses an application executing on the mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pattern of interaction includes physical contact between the user and a touch screen of the mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the physical contact comprises at least one of: a swipe, a drag, a rotation, a flick, a pinch, a spread, or a tap. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical behavior pattern describes pattern of interaction between the user and an application executing on the mobile device as paths and tasks performed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical behavior pattern describes a mobility pattern of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical behavior pattern describes a communication pattern of the user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical behavior pattern describes a physiological pattern of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical behavior pattern describes an environment in which the user tends to use the mobile device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 periodically refining the historical transaction pattern.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical risk pattern accounts for usage of a security mechanism during the attempted mobile payment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical risk pattern accounts for a location from which the attempted mobile payment was initiated. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction to approve the attempted transaction when the likelihood falls below a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction to reject the attempted transaction when the likelihood exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the instruction further comprises a request for additional information for purposes of authentication. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving feedback from the user in response to the instruction.   
     
     
         18 . A computer readable storage device containing an executable program for processing an attempted payment made using a mobile device, where the program performs steps comprising:
 receiving information about the attempted payment;   receiving data indicative of a behavior of a user of the mobile device at the time of the attempted payment;   computing a likelihood that the attempted payment is fraudulent, based at least in part on a comparison of the behavior of the user to an historical behavior pattern of the user; and   sending an instruction indicating how to proceed with the attempted payment, based on the likelihood.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable storage device of  claim 18 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction to reject the attempted transaction when the likelihood exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         20 . A system for processing an attempted payment made using a mobile device, the method comprising:
 an input device for receiving from the mobile device data indicative of a transaction related to the attempted payment, data indicative of a riskiness of the attempted payment, and data relating to a behavior of a user of the mobile device at a time of the attempted payment, wherein the behavior comprises an interaction of the user with the mobile device;   a memory for storing an historical behavior pattern of the user, an historical transaction pattern of the user, and an historical risk pattern of the user;   a behavior analyzer for computing a likelihood that the attempted payment is fraudulent, based at least in part on a comparison of the behavior of the user to the historical behavior pattern of the user, a comparison of the transaction to the historical transaction pattern of the user, and a comparison of the riskiness to the historical risk pattern of the user; and   an output device for sending an instruction to the mobile device indicating how to proceed with the attempted payment, based on the likelihood.