Methods and computer-readable media for facilitating forensic investigations of online transactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11798003-B2
Application number	US-201815990225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2018
Priority date	Dec 5, 2007
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A method, comprising: receiving a first identifier associated with an online transaction and a second identifier used by end user equipment involved in the online transaction; obtaining evidentiary information pertaining to the end user equipment based on the second identifier; storing in a database a record that associates the first identifier with the evidentiary information; and retrieving one of (i) the evidentiary information in said record and (ii) the first identifier in response to a request identifying the other of (i) the evidentiary information in said record and (ii) the first identifier. Where the online transaction is effected over a network after the end user equipment has gained access thereto, the evidentiary information may include information pertaining to a subscriber whose credentials were used by the end user equipment to gain access to the network. The information pertaining to the subscriber may include personal information about the subscriber. Alternatively, the evidentiary information may include location information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for maintaining forensic information for online transactions, the system comprising:
an access multiplexor comprising a plurality of physical ports each connected to a respective one of a plurality of physical links, each of the physical links terminating at a known physical location for connecting the first network element to respective user equipment located at the known physical location;
a network access server communicatively coupled to the access multiplexor by a plurality of logical link each associated with a respective one of the plurality of physical ports of the access multiplexor, a respective one of a plurality of logical identifier assigned to each of the logical links, wherein the logical identifier comprises an IP address;
generating and storing a location information database linking logical identifiers and known physical locations by combining mappings between:
known physical locations: physical ports maintained by the access multiplexor;
physical ports: logical links maintained by the access multiplexor; and
logical links: logical identifiers maintained by the network access server;

a transaction management maintaining a transaction record database by:
receiving from a merchant server a transaction message comprising:
a transaction identifier identifying an online transaction that was attempted to be completed from end user equipment; and
a logical identifier comprising an IP address used for communicating with the end user equipment from which the online transaction was attempted;

using the logical identifier received in the transaction message to look-up in the location information database physical location information currently linked to the logical identifier;
storing in the transaction record database a new transaction record comprising:
the transaction identifier received from the merchant server in the transaction message; and
the physical location information from the look-up in the location information database.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the merchant server, the merchant server configured for:
receiving a transaction request from the user equipment for the transaction;
transmitting a payment request for the requested transaction to a payment gateway server;
receiving a transaction approval message from the payment gateway server, the transaction approval message comprising:
the transaction identifier;
an approval or denial for the transaction; and
sending the transaction message to the transaction management entity.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the merchant server is further configured for:
storing a record of the transaction approval message in a merchant's transaction database.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transaction management entity is further configured to:
receive investigative queries comprising a query transaction identifier;
retrieve physical location information stored in the location information database in association with the transaction identifier; and
return the retrieved physical location in response to the received investigative query.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the IP address is assigned to the end user equipment in response to the end user equipment requesting access with the service provider to the packet-switched network.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transaction identifier is a unique transaction identifier generated by an entity that is a member of a financial network.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the online transaction involves at least one of an attempt to make a payment and an attempt to effect a fund transfer.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the online transaction involves at least one of an attempt to access secure online content and an attempt to access a virtual private network.

Assignees

• Bce Inc

Inventors

• Clark David William
• Fortier Stéphane Maxime François
• Bouchard Jean

Classifications

• G06Q30/00 Primary

  Commerce · CPC title

• G06Q20/403

  Solvency checks · CPC title

• G06Q30/0185

  Product, service or business identity fraud · CPC title