Patent ID: 6594481
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
An apparatus for allowing a telecommunication service provider, who provides a plurality of subscribers with the ability to contact other subscribers of the telecommunication service provider and subscribers of a different telecommunication service provider, to detect potentially fraudulent telecommunication activity, comprising:a digital computer; interface means, operating within said digital computer, for receiving a call information record for substantially each call involving the use of a telecommunication device associated with a particular subscriber, wherein association of a telecommunication device with said particular subscriber can be in the form of a telecommunication device associated with a fraudulent user that appears to be said particular subscriber; wherein said interface means include means for receiving call information records derived from a wireless home switching center of the telecommunication service provider that provides said particular subscriber with the ability to communicate with other telecommunication devices while the particular subscriber is located in a first geographical region; wherein said interface means also includes means for receiving call information records from a wireless roamer switching center of the same or a different telecommunication service provider that provides said particular subscriber with the ability to communicate with other telecommunication devices while the particular subscriber is located in a second geographical region that is different than said first geographical region; analysis means, operating within said digital computer, for receiving call information records from said interface means and using said call information records in analyzing call usage associated with the particular subscriber, said analysis means applying a set of predetermined rules when analyzing said call usage to identify one of a plurality of available alert states indicative of a severity of potentially fraudulent call activity; and, display means, operating with said digital computer, for displaying an indication of said potentially fraudulent call activity, wherein said display means includes displaying at least some of the information generated during the analysis that identified said potentially fraudulent call activity so an assessment of potentially fraudulent call activity can be made, and wherein said information includes identifying the type of potentially fraudulent telecommunication activity as at least one of: a velocity event, a duration event, a velocity threshold event, a suspect number event, a suspect country event, a credit event, and an overlap calls event.