Method and apparatus for managing transactions

Abstract

A system receives account access information from a user. The account is then accessed using the received access information. Data is harvested from a web page associated with the account or received from another financial data source. The user's ability to access the account is authenticated based on the obtained information.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A financial system, comprising:
 at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and   at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 receive user information for a user associated with a financial account; 
 identify, based at least in part on at least a portion of the user information, a score indicative of a level of verification of an identity of the user; 
 determine that the score is within a tolerance of a threshold value; 
 limit the user to a restricted level of service for the financial account responsive to the determination that the score is within the tolerance of the threshold value; 
 receive, on behalf of the user, account access information for accessing the financial account; 
 access a Web site associated with the financial account based at least in part on the account access information; 
 harvest account information associated with the financial account from one or more Web pages associated with the Web site; 
 validate, based at least in part on the account information harvested from the one or more Web pages, at least one of (i) the user or (ii) the financial account; and 
 authorize the user to access the financial account to initiate execution of a financial transaction that satisfies the restricted level of service responsive to validation of the at least one of: (i) the user or (ii) the financial account. 
   
     
     
         32 . The financial system of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 obtain additional user information from an external data source,   wherein the score is further identified based at least in part on the additional user information.   
     
     
         33 . The financial system of  claim 32 , wherein the external data source comprises one of: (i) a driver's license data source; (ii) a phone data source; (iii) a credit reporting data source; (iv) a postal service data source; or (v) a government data source. 
     
     
         34 . The financial system of  claim 31 , wherein the account access information comprises at least one of: (i) a username; or (ii) a password. 
     
     
         35 . The financial system of  claim 31 , wherein the information harvested from the one or more Web pages comprises information retrieved from one or more financial data sources. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the score is a first score and the level of verification of the identity of the user is a first level, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 identify a second score indicative of a second level of verification of the identity of the user;   determine that the second score exceeds the threshold value;   provide the user with an unrestricted level of service for the financial account.   
     
     
         37 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a computerized financial system comprising one or more computers, user information for a user associated with a financial account;   identifying, by the computerized financial system and based at least in part on at least a portion of the user information, a score indicative of a level of verification of an identity of the user;   determining, by the computerized financial system, that the score is within a tolerance of a threshold value;   limiting, by the computerized financial system, the user to a restricted level of service for the financial account responsive to determining that the score is within the tolerance of the threshold value;   receiving, by the computerized financial system on behalf of the user, account access information for accessing the financial account;   accessing, by the computerized financial system, a Web site associated with the financial account based at least in part on the account access information;   harvesting, by the computerized financial system, account information associated with the financial account from one or more Web pages associated with the Web site;   validating, by the computerized financial system and based at least in part on the account information harvested from the one or more Web pages, at least one of (i) the user or (ii) the financial account; and   authorizing, by the computerized financial system, the user to access the financial account to initiate execution of a financial transaction that satisfies the restricted level of service responsive to validating the at least one of (i) the user or (ii) the financial account.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 obtaining, by the computerized financial system, additional user information from an external data source,   wherein the score is further identified based at least in part on the additional user information.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the external data source comprises one of (i) a driver's license data source; (ii) a phone data source; (iii) a credit reporting data source; (iv) a postal service data source; or (v) a government data source. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the account access information comprises at least one of: (i) a username; or (ii) a password. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein validating is based at least in part on information retrieved from one or more financial data sources. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the score is a first score and the level of verification of the identity of the user is a first level, the method further comprising:
 identifying, by the computerized financial system, a second score indicative of a second level of verification of the identity of the user;   determining, by the computerized financial system, that the second score exceeds the threshold value;   providing, by the computerized financial system, the user with an unrestricted level of service for the financial account.   
     
     
         43 . A financial system, comprising:
 at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and   at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 identify user information associated with a user and a financial account of the user and at a financial institution; 
 receive, on behalf of the user, account access information for accessing the financial account; 
 perform an online verification process to determine whether the user is authorized to access the financial account, wherein the online verification process comprises accessing a Web site with the account access information to harvest account information associated with the financial account; 
 determine that (i) the online verification process failed to verify that the user is authorized to access the financial account, or (ii) the Web site is at least temporarily unavailable; 
 direct, responsive to determining that the online verification process failed to verify that the user is authorized to access the financial account or that the Web site is at least temporarily unavailable, a transaction associated with the financial account for a transaction amount unknown to the user; 
 receive, on behalf of the user, a user-specified transaction amount; 
 confirm that the user-specified transaction amount matches the transaction amount; and 
 authorize use of the financial account on behalf of the user. 
   
     
     
         44 . The financial system of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 authenticate, prior to performing the online verification process, an identity of the user based at least in part on the user information.   
     
     
         45 . The financial system of  claim 44 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to obtain additional information from an external data source, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to authenticate the identity of the user further based at least in part on the additional information. 
     
     
         46 . The financial system of  claim 45 , wherein the external data source comprises one of: (i) a driver's license data source; (ii) a phone data source; (iii) a credit reporting data source; (iv) a postal service data source; or (v) a government data source. 
     
     
         47 . The financial system of  claim 45 , wherein the additional information comprises a score based on a level of verification associated with the user, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to authenticate the identity of the user by executing the computer-executable instructions to compare the score to a threshold value. 
     
     
         48 . The financial system of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to authenticate the identity of the user by executing the computer-executable instructions to:
 determine that the score exceeds the threshold value;   grant the user an unrestricted level of service associate with the financial account.   
     
     
         49 . The financial system of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to authenticate the identity of the user by executing the computer-executable instructions to:
 determine that the score is within an acceptable tolerance of the threshold value; and   limit the user to a restricted level of service associated with the financial account.   
     
     
         50 . The financial system of  claim 43 , wherein the transaction comprises a deposit to the financial account, a withdrawal from the financial account, or a random transaction amount.