The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 1996
Filed:
Sep. 19, 1995
Elaine E Reed, Vienna, VA (US);
Cynthia A Edge, Cedar Rapids, IA (US);
MCI Communications Corporation, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A method for controlling telephone fraud of the type whereby a caller places calls or accesses services via unauthorized use of a credit card number or other authorization number. For such control, an initial call using the number and meeting a certain primary criterion (such as placement to a geographical area known to receive numerous fraudulent calls) is intercepted and it is determined whether or not that call is an authentic use of the number. If authentic, other calls are then allowed without interception, even though they may meet the primary criterion, unless or until a secondary criterion is met. Meeting the secondary criterion (which may relate to calling patterns indicative of fraud) also causes a call to be intercepted and a determination made as to whether the use is authentic. For interception due to either criterion, if the call is determined to be inauthentic, the authorization number may be removed from service. The result of the control method is a reduction in fraudulent calls, but with minimal discrimination against authentic uses of a calling authorization number.