Method, device and system for information verification

Abstract

The present application discloses methods, devices and systems for information verification, and in particular for multi-user verification for transactions such as online payment transactions. An online account, such as a payment account, can be registered as a multi-user verification account, which requires at least two users to verify a transaction. After receiving a verification request from a first user, a server verifies first verification information (e.g. voiceprint information) from the first user and second verification information (e.g. voiceprint information) from the second user, so that the server may approve or deny the pending transaction in accordance with a comparison of the first and second verification information against respective verification information stored in association with the multi-user verification account.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of multi-user verification for online transactions using an instant messaging (IM) application, wherein the IM application having a plurality of IM accounts, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message including a verification request from a first user at a first electronic device running the IM application, wherein the verification request comprises transaction information for a pending online transaction and first verification information and first biometric information associated with the first user, wherein the transaction information identifies the first user as a primary verifier and at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for the pending online transaction;
 in response to the verification request from the first user,
 comparing the first biometric information against prestored first reference biometric information associated with the first user in association with the first IM account; 
 sending a second message requesting additional confirmation for the pending online transaction from the at least one second user at a second electronic device running the IM application after the first biometric information passing the comparison; 
 
 receiving a third message including second verification information from the at least one second user at the second electronic device running the IM application, wherein the second verification information is provided in response to the request for additional confirmation from the server; and 
 verifying the pending online transaction in accordance with a comparison of the first verification information and second verification information against respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pending online transaction is an online purchase transaction, and   the second message requesting additional confirmation for the pending online transaction from the at least one second user further comprises purchase order information associated with the online purchase transaction to the at least one second user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 conducting a financial transaction based on the transaction information when the verification of the pending online transaction is successful.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user comprises respective biometric information associated with the first and the at least one second user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the respective biometric information associated with the first user includes a voiceprint of the first user.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before receiving the first message including the verification request from the first user:
 receiving a registration request to register a multi-user verification account from the first user, wherein the registration request includes (i) first registration information used to verify the first verification information received from the first user and (ii) a user account associated with the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier; 
 saving the first registration information entered by the first user in association with the multi-user verification account; 
 in response to the registration request from the first user, sending a message to the user account associated with the at least one second user to obtain second registration information from the at least one second user, wherein the second registration information comprises the respective verification information used to verify the second verification information received from the at least one second user; and 
 saving the second registration information returned by the second user in association with the multi-user verification account, establishing the first user as the primary verifier and the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for online transactions associated with the multi-user verification account. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the second user provides biometric information as the second registration information.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first user selects the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for the multi-user verification account.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 prior to establishing the first user as the primary verifier and the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for online transactions associated with the multi-user verification account, verifying that the first user and the second user are direct contacts of each other.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second user includes at least one group of alternative verifiers w % here each user included in a respective group of alternative verifiers is allowed to provide the additional verification on behalf of the respective group. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an approval or a denial of the pending online transaction from the second user along with the second verification information from the at least one second user,   wherein verifying the pending online transaction in accordance with a comparison of the first verification information and second verification information against respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user further comprises:
 sending a fourth message to the first user at the first electronic device running the IM application denying the pending transaction when the second verification information comprises a denial of the pending online transaction and if the second verification information passes the comparison. 
   
     
     
         12 . A computer system, comprising:
 one of more processors; and   memory storing instructions, the instructions, when execution by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first message including a verification request from a first user at a first electronic device running the IM application, wherein the verification request comprises transaction information for a pending online transaction and first verification information and first biometric information associated with the first user, wherein the transaction information identifies the first user as a primary verifier and at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for the pending online transaction; 
 in response to the verification request from the first user,
 comparing the first biometric information against prestored first reference biometric information associated with the first user in association with the first IM account; 
 sending a second message requesting additional confirmation for the pending online transaction from the at least one second user at a second electronic device running the IM application after the first biometric information passing the comparison; 
 
 receiving a third message including second verification information from the at least one second user at the second electronic device running the IM application, wherein the second verification information is provided in response to the request for additional confirmation from the server; and 
 verifying the pending online transaction in accordance with a comparison of the first verification information and second verification information against respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user. 
   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user comprises respective biometric information associated with the first and the at least one second user.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 before receiving the first message including the verification request from the first user:
 receiving a registration request to register a multi-user verification account from the first user, wherein the registration request includes (i) first registration information used to verify the first verification information received from the first user and (ii) a user account associated with the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier; 
 saving the first registration information entered by the first user in association with the multi-user verification account; 
 in response to the registration request from the first user, sending a message to the user account associated with the at least one second user to obtain second registration information from the at least one second user, wherein the second registration information comprises the respective verification information used to verify the second verification information received from the at least one second user; and 
 saving the second registration information returned by the second user in association with the multi-user verification account, establishing the first user as the primary verifier and the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for online transactions associated with the multi-user verification account. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the second user provides biometric information as the second registration information.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first user selects the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for the multi-user verification account.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 prior to establishing the first user as the primary verifier and the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for online transactions associated with the multi-user verification account, verifying that the first user and the second user are direct contacts of each other.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a plurality of operations including:
 receiving a first message including a verification request from a first user at a first electronic device running the IM application, wherein the verification request comprises transaction information for a pending online transaction and first verification information and first biometric information associated with the first user, wherein the transaction information identifies the first user as a primary verifier and at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for the pending online transaction;   in response to the verification request from the first user,
 comparing the first biometric information against prestored first reference biometric information associated with the first user in association with the first IM account; 
 sending a second message requesting additional confirmation for the pending online transaction from the at least one second user at a second electronic device running the IM application after the first biometric information passing the comparison; 
 receiving a third message including second verification information from the at least one second user at the second electronic device running the IM application, wherein the second verification information is provided in response to the request for additional confirmation from the server; and 
 verifying the pending online transaction in accordance with a comparison of the first verification information and second verification information against respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user. 
   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the respective verification information stored in association with the first user and the at least one second user comprises respective biometric information associated with the first and the at least one second user.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 before receiving the first message including the verification request from the first user:
 receiving a registration request to register a multi-user verification account from the first user, wherein the registration request includes (i) first registration information used to verify the first verification information received from the first user and (ii) a user account associated with the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier; 
 saving the first registration information entered by the first user in association with the multi-user verification account; 
 in response to the registration request from the first user, sending a message to the user account associated with the at least one second user to obtain second registration information from the at least one second user, wherein the second registration information comprises the respective verification information used to verify the second verification information received from the at least one second user; and 
 saving the second registration information returned by the second user in association with the multi-user verification account, establishing the first user as the primary verifier and the at least one second user as at least one additional verifier for online transactions associated with the multi-user verification account.