Verification of credential reset

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11228599-B2
Application number	US-201916684502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2019
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for restoring access for user accounts when suspicious activity is detected. The methods and systems identify any potential suspicious activity or potential misuse associated with a user account. The user account has account privileges associated with a network service. The methods and systems sends a notification to a network application to indicate that account privileges associated with the user account are limited. In response to the notification, a series of tasks to restore access to the user account may be performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, as a result of execution by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:
provision a service for a user associated with a user account with account privileges to post items for sale;
receive a request from a second user to use the service;
detect that the second user is suspected to use the service to perform fraudulent activity, wherein the fraudulent activity includes posting a false item for sale;
limit access to the account privileges based at least in part on the detection;
cause a notification associated with the request to be presented by a network application that is different from an application from which the request was issued, wherein the notification indicates that the account privileges associated with the user account is limited;
receive information to verify authenticity of the user in response to the notification;
cause a second notification to be presented by the network application, wherein the second notification indicates that the authenticity of the user has been verified; and
restore access to the account privileges as a result of verifying the authenticity of the user.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the network application is an e-mail service and the notification is an e-mail message.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the fraudulent activity further includes posting false account information.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein limiting access to the account privileges includes denying access to financial transactions associated with the account privileges.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein restoring access to the account privileges as a result of verifying the authenticity of the user includes enabling an administrator to unlock the user account.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , the notification further indicates a series of tasks for the user to complete to verify authenticity of the user prior to removing the limitation on the account privileges.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
detecting activities that are being performed on a service without permission from a user, wherein the user is associated with a user account with account privileges;
restricting access to the account privileges based at least in part on the detection;
causing a notification to be presented by a network application that is different from the service from which activities were performed, wherein the notification indicates that the account privileges associated with the user account is restricted;
receiving information to verify authenticity of the user in response to the notification;
causing a second notification to be presented by the network application, wherein the second notification indicates that the authenticity of the user has been verified; and
restoring access to the account privileges as a result of verifying the authenticity of the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detected activities further include using the service to post false items for sale or false account information of the user.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detected activities are performed by a third-party user impersonating the user.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the network application is an e-mail service that is associated with an email account accessible by the user.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein information received includes documents indicating authenticity of the user.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein restoring access to the account privileges as a result of verifying the authenticity of the user includes enabling an administrator to unlock the user account.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein restricting access to the account privileges includes denying a portion of the account privileges for use by the user.

14. A system, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:
detect suspicious activity being performed, using a first network application, that is associated with a user account having account privileges;
limit access to account privileges associated with the user account;
send a notification to a second network application associated with the user account to indicate that access to account privileges associated with the user account are limited, wherein the second network application is a different application than the first network application; and
limit access to the account privileges until receipt of information that verifies authenticity of the user account in response to the notification.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
review the information that verifies authenticity of the user account; and
send a second notification to the second network application to request additional information to verify authenticity of the user account.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to remove limitations associated with accessing the account privileges after receipt of information that verifies authenticity of the user account.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first network application is an e-commerce website and the second network application is an e-mail service.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second network application is a trusted access point previously indicated by the user account to be secure.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein suspicious activity comprises using the first network application to post false items for sale or false account information associated with the user account.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein limiting access to account privileges associated with the user account includes denying requests associated with financial transactions from the user account.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Johansson Jesper Mikael
• Funderburk Max Harwell
• Khurrum Mian Zainulabadin
• Karukurichi Subramanian Kripa Shankar

Classifications

• H04L67/535

  Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34) · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/102 Primary

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• H04L67/22

  Electricity · mapped topic