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 . A method for assessing a risk of fraud, comprising:
 receiving at least information relating to a first address relating to one of an account holder or an applicant;   receiving information relating to a second address; and   measuring demographic differences between the first and second addresses.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising analyzing whether the first address is a warm address. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising analyzing whether the first address is a undeliverable mail address. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating a score indicative of a level of risk of identity theft fraud. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the act of calculating a score comprises using a mathematical model that includes weighting factors for one or more pre-defined variables used in the model. 
     
     
         6 . 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.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising receiving a reference address. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein act of receiving a reference address includes receiving reference address information from a third party database 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , 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. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprises measuring at least one difference in demographic data appended to the first and reference address information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising calculating a score indicative of a risk of identity theft. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising reporting an assessment of a risk of identity theft based at least in part on the score. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising analyzing negative data for the first address. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the act of assessing risk of identity theft is based on the score and analysis of the negative data. 
     
     
         15 . 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.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising reporting the assessment of fraud. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the act of assessing a risk of fraud comprises assessing the risk of identity theft fraud due to account takeover. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the act of assessing a risk of fraud comprises assessing the risk of identity theft fraud perpetrated through a new application. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving information relating to a media request. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising assessing risk of identity theft when the request for media is made on an emergency basis. 
     
     
         21 .- 33 . (canceled)