Determining scam risk during a voice call

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9692885-B2
Application number	US-201514943720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Examples are disclosed that relate to detecting and providing alerts regarding a possible scam voice call. One example provides a method comprising receiving a voice call, and obtaining, during the voice call, a caller number and a caller voice sample. The method further comprises obtaining, via the caller number and the caller voice sample, a risk determination regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call, and based upon the risk determination, outputting, during the voice call, an alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. On a computing device configured to receive voice calls, the computing device comprising memory and a processor, a method of alerting of a potential scam call, the method comprising:
receiving a voice call;
obtaining, during the voice call, a caller number and a caller voice sample;
receiving a user input requesting a risk determination regarding a risk that the voice call is a scam call; and
via the caller number and the caller voice sample, obtaining the risk determination regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call; and
based upon the risk determination, outputting, during the voice call, an alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during the voice call, displaying on a user interface of the computing device an option to request the risk determination that the voice call is a scam call.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining, during the voice call, the risk determination comprises sending the caller number and caller voice sample to a remote service, and obtaining the risk determination from the remote service.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving the risk determination comprises receiving a confidence value regarding a confidence level of the risk determination.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining, during the voice call, the risk determination comprises comparing one or more of the caller number and the caller voice sample to locally stored caller information to obtain the risk determination.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein obtaining the risk determination comprises determining a confidence value regarding a confidence level of the risk determination.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call comprises outputting an alert via a haptic output mechanism.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call comprises outputting an alert on a display of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the alert comprises outputting the alert via a speaker.

10. The method of claim 1 , further outputting on the user interface an alert having a level selected from a plurality of levels based upon a confidence value of the risk determination.

11. A computing device configured to receive and transmit voice communications, the computing device comprising:
a processor;
a communications subsystem;
a storage subsystem;
a display; and
memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to:
receive a voice call;
obtain, during the voice call, a caller number and a caller voice sample;
receive a user input requesting a risk determination regarding a risk that the voice call is a scam call; and
via the caller number and the caller voice sample, obtain the risk determination regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call; and
based upon the risk determination, output to the display, during the voice call, an alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable to, during the voice call, display on a user interface of the computing device an option to request the risk determination that the voice call is a scam call.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable to obtain, during the voice call, the risk determination by comparing one or more of the caller number and the caller voice sample to the storage subsystem storing caller information.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable to obtain, during the voice call, the risk determination by sending the voice sample and the caller number to a remote service, and receive the risk determination from the remote service.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable to output the alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call on a display device.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable to receive an input ending the call after outputting the alert, and to send a confirmation to a remote service that the call was likely a scam call upon receiving the input ending the call.

17. A computing device, comprising:
a processor;
a communications subsystem;
a storage subsystem;
a touch-sensitive display; and
memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to:
receive a voice call;
display on the touch-sensitive display a user interface control for requesting a risk determination regarding the risk that the call is a scam call;
receive a user input via the user interface control requesting the risk determination regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call; and;
in response to receiving the user input, obtain, during the voice call, a caller number and a caller voice sample;
via the caller number and the caller voice sample, obtain the risk determination regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call; and
output to the touch-sensitive display, during the voice call, an alert regarding the risk that the voice call is a scam call.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable to output one or more of a haptic alert and an audio alert.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the risk determination comprises a confidence value, and wherein the instructions executable to output the alert are executable to output an alert comprising a level selected from a plurality of levels based upon a confidence value.

20. The device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are executable to receive an input ending the call after outputting the alert, and to send a confirmation to a remote service that the call was likely a scam call upon receiving the input ending the call.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Bhupati Dhirendra

Classifications

• H04M3/2281 Primary

  Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls · CPC title

• H04M2203/6027

  Fraud preventions · CPC title

• H04M1/575

  Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party · CPC title

• H04M19/04

  the ringing-current being generated at the substations · CPC title

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title