Systems and methods for performing funds freeze and/or funds seizure with respect to prepaid payment cards

Abstract

Systems, mechanisms and processes are provided to allow law-enforcement officials, when encountering the potential use of prepaid payment cards in the furtherance of a crime or in relation to criminal activities, to (1) attempt to check the balances on such prepaid payment cards, including the ability to perform aggregate balance checks on a group of such prepaid cards, (2) attempt to freeze the funds on such prepaid payment cards, and/or (3) attempt to seize the funds on such prepaid payment cards.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of processing one or more payment cards, comprising:
 receiving funds freeze request data transmitted from a card reading device, the funds freeze request data including payment card data and identification data associated with an entity legally authorized to freeze payment card funds; and   executing a funds freeze on an account associated with the received payment card data, the funds freeze including at least one of:
 performing a pre-authorization transaction for an amount equivalent to the monetary funds in the account associated with the received payment card data; 
 performing a transaction in which funds from the account associated with the received payment card data are temporarily placed into a second account; 
 declining a request for a payment transaction using monetary funds in the account associated with the received payment card data; or 
 performing a funds freeze transaction in which a payment network marks the account associated with the received payment card data as frozen. 
   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the funds freeze includes generating negative file data instructing a payment network to decline any request for a payment transaction using the prepaid card. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the negative file data further instructs the payment network to notify an issuer processor, and further comprising:
 cross-checking, using the issuer processor, payment card information in the negative file data against related transactions, related accounts, and possible intra-bank transfer requests.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the funds freeze includes a transaction in which funds from the account associated with the received payment card data are temporarily placed into a second account, and wherein the second account is associated with a government or with a law enforcement entity. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising performing a chargeback, wherein the chargeback comprises reversing the funds freeze. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 determining monetary funds in the account associated with the received payment card data by completing a balance inquiry transaction or by completing a sale transaction for a predetermined sale amount.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the received payment card data includes data for a plurality of payment cards. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 determining an aggregate of monetary funds in a plurality of accounts, wherein each account is associated with a payment card of the plurality of payment cards; and   based on the aggregate of monetary funds, determining a type of criminal activity associated with the plurality of payment cards.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a remote terminal, a request to authorize a transaction using the payment card; and   notifying the remote terminal that authorization of the transaction has failed.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second account is associated with at least one of:
 a law enforcement agency; or   a government agency, wherein the government agency includes at least one of: a local government agency, a state government agency, a federal government agency, or an international government agency.   
     
     
         39 . A method of processing one or more payment cards, comprising:
 receiving funds freeze request data or funds seizure request data transmitted from a card reading device, the funds freeze request data or funds seizure request data including payment card data and identification data associated with an entity legally authorized to freeze payment card funds; and   executing a funds freeze or funds seizure on an account associated with the received payment card data, the funds freeze or funds seizure including at least one of:
 performing a pre-authorization transaction for an amount equivalent to the monetary funds in the account associated with the received payment card data; 
 performing a transaction in which funds from the account associated with the received payment card data are placed into a second account; 
 declining a request for a payment transaction using monetary funds in an account associated with the received payment card data; or 
 marking, in a database, an account associated with the received payment card data as frozen or seized. 
   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the second account is associated with at least one of:
 a law enforcement agency; or   a government agency, wherein the government agency includes at least one of: a local government agency, a state government agency, a federal government agency, or an international government agency.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a plurality of accounts are associated with the received payment card data, and further comprising:
 executing a funds freeze or funds seizure on the plurality of accounts.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising performing a chargeback, wherein the chargeback comprises reversing the funds freeze or funds seizure. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a remote terminal, a request to authorize a transaction using the payment card; and   notifying the remote terminal that authorization of the transaction has failed.   
     
     
         44 . A payment processing apparatus, including one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having instructions thereon, the instructions configured to operate a network accessible computer system to perform the operations of:
 receiving funds freeze request data or funds seizure request data transmitted from a card reading device, the funds freeze request data or funds seizure request data including payment card data and identification data associated with an entity legally authorized to freeze payment card funds; and   executing a funds freeze or funds seizure on an account associated with the received payment card data, the funds freeze or funds seizure including at least one of:
 performing a pre-authorization transaction for an amount equivalent to the monetary funds in the account associated with the received payment card data; 
 performing a transaction in which funds from the account associated with the received payment card data are placed into a second account; 
 declining a request for a payment transaction using the payment card; or 
   marking, in a database, the account associated with the payment card as frozen or seized.   
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , further configured to perform the operation of:
 executing a funds freeze or funds seizure on a plurality of accounts associated with the received payment card data.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the second account is associated with at least one of:
 a law enforcement agency; or   a government agency, wherein the government agency includes at least one of: a local government agency, a state government agency, a federal government agency, or an international government agency.   
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , further configured to perform the operation of:
 receiving, from a remote terminal, a request to authorize a transaction using the payment card; and   notifying the remote terminal that authorization of the transaction has failed.   
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , further configured to perform the operation of:
 determining monetary funds in an account associated with the received payment card data by completing a balance inquiry transaction or by completing a sale transaction for a predetermined sale amount.