Patent ID: 7984849
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A method for determining if a fraudulent magnetic stripe has been printed on a carrier, comprising mechanically or visually detecting a physical format for the carrier, reading the magnetic stripe for information, and comparing the information read from the magnetic stripe to the detected physical format of the carrier to determine a result of whether or not the information read is compatible or not with the physical format for the carrier and identifying when the information read is incompatible with the physical format of the carrier, wherein a wireless service transmits information read from the magnetic stripe to a remote device that interprets the signals read from the magnetic stripe by a programmable magnetic card reader and the programmable card reader's associated processor to make available updated information relating to analysis of magnetic stripe information or carrier format information and wherein the service identifies specific methods and codes used by identity thieves to disguise the information contained on the magnetic stripe by disguising the information to make the data look like data from a different type of carrier and makes such methods and codes available to a software routine at a central processor that is used to reprogram the remote device so that upon subsequent identification of the specific method, an indication signal of the presence of the specific method is provided to a user of the method or is accessed by the remote device so that upon subsequent identification of the specific method, an indication signal of the presence of the specific method is provided to a user of the device.