System, method and computer program product for assessing risk of identity theft

Abstract

In one embodiment, this invention analyzes demographic data that is associated with a specific street address when presented as an address change on an existing account or an address included on a new account application when that address is different from the reference address (e.g., a credit bureau type header data). The old or reference address and the new address, the new account application address or fulfillment address demographic attributes are gathered, analyzed, compared for divergence and scaled to reflect the relative fraud risk.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A method for assessing a risk of identity theft fraud with respect to new applications, comprising:
 receiving first address information relating to an applicant for an account; and   using demographic data relating to the address information.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising receiving a reference address. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein act of receiving a reference address includes receiving reference address information from a third party database 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the act of receiving a reference address includes receiving reference address information as part of input data provided in making a request to assess a risk of identity theft fraud. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprises measuring at least one difference in demographic data appended to the first and reference address information. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising calculating a score indicative of a risk of identity theft. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising reporting an assessment of a risk of identity theft based at least in part on the score. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising analyzing negative data for the first address. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the act of assessing risk of identity theft is based on the score and analysis of the negative data. 
     
     
         43 . A method for assessing a risk of fraud, comprising:
 using demographic attributes of street addresses to predict the risk of fraud, wherein the act of using comprises analyzing differences between demographic attributes of the addresses.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising reporting the assessment of fraud. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the act of assessing a risk of fraud comprises assessing the risk of identity theft fraud due to account takeover. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the act of assessing a risk of fraud comprises assessing the risk of identity theft fraud perpetrated through a new application. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising receiving information relating to a media request. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising assessing risk of identity theft when the request for media is made on an emergency basis. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the act of assessing risk of fraud comprises assessing a risk of identity theft in fulfillment activities. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprises coupling negative and positive information with address demographic attributes to assess the risk of identity theft fraud. 
     
     
         51 . A method for determining whether an account request for a change of address from an applicant involves fraud, comprising:
 receiving a request to change an address of an account, said request including an old address and a new address of the applicant;   obtaining demographic data based on the old address of the applicant;   obtaining demographic data based on the new address of the applicant;   calculating a differential between the demographic data based on the old address of the applicant and the demographic data based on the new address of the applicant; and   calculating a score for the request based on the differential, the score indicating whether the request may involve fraud.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising reporting an assessment of a risk of identity theft based at least in part on the score.