Method and system for notifying customers of transaction opportunities

Abstract

A standalone notification system, including a notification server which generates electronic messages for alerting customers of potentially fraudulent activity on one or more of their financial accounts. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the notification system may be used to forward transaction code(s) to customers for verification of a request for high risk transaction(s) with respect to a customer's financial account. The transaction code is generated in response to a high risk transaction request and sent to through an identified customer notification means, e.g., e-mail, short message service (“SMS”), facsimile, mobile phone, telephone, etc. The customer must enter the transaction code within a predetermined amount of time in order to verify the high-risk transaction request.

1 . A computer-implemented method for notifying a customer of an event related to at least one financial account of the customer comprising:
 receiving, by a computer of a notification system hosted by a financial institution holding at least one financial account and at least one investment instrument of a customer enrolled in the notification system, at least one instruction from the enrolled customer, wherein the at least one instruction directs the notification system to alert the enrolled customer upon the occurrence of an event related to the at least one investment instrument and to perform a transaction related to the at least one investment instrument;   alerting, by the computer upon the occurrence of the event, the enrolled customer of the event;   performing, by the computer upon the occurrence of the event, the transaction related to the at least one investment instrument by accessing the at least one financial account;   receiving account activity information for the at least one financial account;   determining, by the computer, if the account activity information is indicative of potential fraud on the at least one financial account;   determining, by the computer, at least one method of alerting the customer; and   sending, by the computer, an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud to the customer via the determined at least one method of alerting the customer regardless of whether the customer is enrolled in the notification system or not.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the account activity information indicative of potential fraud includes at least one of attempted execution of high value transactions; execution of high value transactions; attempted addition of a new payee; addition of a new payee; attempted use of a previously unused transaction system; and use of a previously unused transaction system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one method of alerting the customer includes at least one of e-mail, HTML (hypertext mark-up language), pager, customer service representative call, mobile phone text messaging, XML (extensible mark-up language), facsimile, and short message service. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein attributes of the high value transaction vary depending on historical account data of the customer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one method of alerting the customer is determined based on customer data received at the notification system from both financial institution sources and external sources. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction is performed by accessing the at least one financial account only after receiving a second instruction from the enrolled customer. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method for notifying a customer of an event related to at least one financial account of the customer comprising:
 receiving, by a computer of a notification system hosted by a financial institution holding at least one financial account of the customer, at least one instruction from a customer enrolled in the notification system, wherein the at least one instruction directs the notification system to send the enrolled customer, upon the occurrence of an event, at least one message based on a financial relationship between the customer and the financial institution;   sending, by the computer upon the concurrent of the event, the at least one message to the enrolled customer by accessing the at least one financial account;   receiving account activity information for the at least one financial account;   determining, by the computer, if the account activity information is indicative of potential fraud on the at least one financial account;   determining, by the computer, the status of the customer as being either enrolled in the notification system or not enrolled in the notification system;   if it is determined that the customer is enrolled in the notification system, ascertaining, by the computer, the customer's preferred method of notification, formulating an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud, and sending the alert message to the customer via the preferred method of notification; and   if it is determined that the customer is not enrolled in the notification system, determining, by the computer, at least one method of notifying the customer based on customer data received at the notification system, formulating an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud, and sending the alert message to the customer via the at least one identified method of notification.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the account activity information indicative of potential fraud includes at least one of attempted execution of high value transactions; execution of high value transactions; attempted addition of a new payee; addition of a new payee; attempted use of a previously unused transaction system; and use of a previously unused transaction system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one method of notifying the customer includes at least one of e-mail, HTML (hypertext mark-up language), pager, customer service representative call, mobile phone text messaging, XML (extensible mark-up language), facsimile, and short message service. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein attributes of the high value transaction vary depending on historical account data of the customer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the customer data received at the notification system is received from both financial institution sources and external sources. 
     
     
         12 . A system for notifying a customer of an event related to at least one financial account of the customer, comprising:
 a computer hosted by a financial institution holding at least one financial account and at least one investment instrument of a customer enrolled in the system, the computer configured for:
 receiving at least one instruction from the enrolled customer, wherein the at least one instruction directs the system to alert the enrolled customer upon the occurrence of an event related to the at least one investment instrument and to perform a transaction related to the at least one investment instrument; 
 alerting, upon the occurrence of the event, the enrolled customer of the event; 
 performing, upon the occurrence of the event, the transaction related to the at least one investment instrument by accessing the at least one financial account; 
 receiving account activity information for the at least one financial account; 
 determining if the account activity information is indicative of potential fraud on the at least one financial account; 
 determining at least one method of alerting the customer; and 
 sending an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud to the customer via the determined at least one method of alerting the customer regardless of whether the customer is enrolled in the system or not. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the account activity information indicative of potential fraud includes at least one of attempted execution of high value transactions; execution of high value transactions; attempted addition of a new payee; addition of a new payee; attempted use of a previously unused transaction system; and use of a previously unused transaction system. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one method of alerting the customer includes at least one of e-mail, HTML (hypertext mark-up language), pager, customer service representative call, mobile phone text messaging, XML (extensible mark-up language), facsimile, and short message service. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein attributes of the high value transaction vary depending on historical account data of the customer. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one method of alerting the customer is determined based on customer data received at the system from both financial institution sources and external sources. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the transaction is performed by accessing the at least one financial account only after receiving a second instruction from the enrolled customer. 
     
     
         18 . A system for notifying a customer of an event related to at least one financial account of the customer, comprising:
 a computer hosted by a financial institution holding at least one financial account and at least one investment instrument of a customer enrolled in the system, the computer configured for:
 receiving at least one instruction from a customer enrolled in the system, wherein the at least one instruction directs the system to send the enrolled customer, upon the occurrence of an event, at least one message based on a financial relationship between the customer and the financial institution; 
 sending, upon the concurrent of the event, the at least one message to the enrolled customer by accessing the at least one financial account; 
 receiving account activity information for the at least one financial account; 
 determining if the account activity information is indicative of potential fraud on the at least one financial account; 
 determining the status of the customer as being either enrolled in the system or not enrolled in the system; 
 if it is determined that the customer is enrolled in the system, ascertaining the customer's preferred method of notification, formulating an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud, and sending the alert message to the customer via the preferred method of notification; and 
 if it is determined that the customer is not enrolled in the system, determining at least one method of notifying the customer based on customer data received at the system, formulating an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud, and sending the alert message to the customer via the at least one identified method of notification. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the account activity information indicative of potential fraud includes at least one of attempted execution of high value transactions; execution of high value transactions; attempted addition of a new payee; addition of a new payee; attempted use of a previously unused transaction system; and use of a previously unused transaction system. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one method of notifying the customer includes at least one of e-mail, HTML (hypertext mark-up language), pager, customer service representative call, mobile phone text messaging, XML (extensible mark-up language), facsimile, and short message service. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein attributes of the high value transaction vary depending on historical account data of the customer. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the customer data received at the system is received from both financial institution sources and external sources. 
     
     
         23 . A machine-readable, non-transitory medium having information for notifying a customer of an event related to at least one financial account of the customer, wherein the information, when read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:
 receiving at least one instruction from a customer enrolled in a notification system hosted by a financial institution holding at least one financial account and at least one investment instrument of the enrolled customer, wherein the at least one instruction directs the notification system to alert the enrolled customer upon the occurrence of an event related to the at least one investment instrument and to perform a transaction related to the at least one investment instrument;   alerting, upon the occurrence of the event, the enrolled customer of the event;   performing, upon the occurrence of the event, the transaction related to the at least one investment instrument by accessing the at least one financial account;   receiving account activity information for the at least one financial account;   determining if the account activity information is indicative of potential fraud on the at least one financial account;   determining at least one method of alerting the customer; and   sending an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud to the customer via the determined at least one method of alerting the customer regardless of whether the customer is enrolled in the notification system or not.   
     
     
         24 . The medium of  claim 23 , wherein the account activity information indicative of potential fraud includes at least one of attempted execution of high value transactions;
 execution of high value transactions; attempted addition of a new payee; addition of a new payee; attempted use of a previously unused transaction system; and use of a previously unused transaction system.   
     
     
         25 . The medium of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one method of alerting the customer includes at least one of e-mail, HTML (hypertext mark-up language), pager, customer service representative call, mobile phone text messaging, XML (extensible mark-up language), facsimile, and short message service. 
     
     
         26 . The medium of  claim 24 , wherein attributes of the high value transaction vary depending on historical account data of the customer. 
     
     
         27 . The medium of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one method of alerting the customer is determined based on customer data received at the notification system from both financial institution sources and external sources. 
     
     
         28 . The medium of  claim 23 , wherein the transaction is performed by accessing the at least one financial account only after receiving a second instruction from the enrolled customer. 
     
     
         29 . A machine-readable, non-transitory medium having information for notifying a customer of an event related to at least one financial account of the customer, wherein the information, when read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:
 receiving at least one instruction from a customer enrolled in a notification system hosted by a financial institution holding at least one financial account of the enrolled customer, wherein the at least one instruction directs the notification system to send the enrolled customer, upon the occurrence of an event, at least one message based on a financial relationship between the customer and the financial institution;   sending, upon the concurrent of the event, the at least one message to the enrolled customer by accessing the at least one financial account;   receiving account activity information for the at least one financial account;   determining if the account activity information is indicative of potential fraud on the at least one financial account;   determining the status of the customer as being either enrolled in the notification system or not enrolled in the notification system;   if it is determined that the customer is enrolled in the notification system, ascertaining the customer's preferred method of notification, formulating an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud, and sending the alert message to the customer via the preferred method of notification; and   if it is determined that the customer is not enrolled in the notification system, determining at least one method of notifying the customer based on customer data received at the notification system, formulating an alert message identifying the account activity information that is indicative of potential fraud, and sending the alert message to the customer via the at least one identified method of notification.   
     
     
         30 . The medium of  claim 29 , wherein the account activity information indicative of potential fraud includes at least one of attempted execution of high value transactions; execution of high value transactions; attempted addition of a new payee; addition of a new payee; attempted use of a previously unused transaction system; and use of a previously unused transaction system. 
     
     
         31 . The medium of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one method of notifying the customer includes at least one of e-mail, HTML (hypertext mark-up language), pager, customer service representative call, mobile phone text messaging, XML (extensible mark-up language), facsimile, and short message service. 
     
     
         32 . The medium of  claim 30 , wherein attributes of the high value transaction vary depending on historical account data of the customer. 
     
     
         33 . The medium of  claim 29 , wherein the customer data received at the notification system is received from both financial institution sources and external sources.