Patent ID: 7831518
Filing Date: 2010-11-09
Classification: G06Q,G07B

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, comprising: receiving, at a postage-issuing computer system, a request for a postage transaction from an end user computer; allocating a unique tracking number to the requested postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides a mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS); generating, at the postage-issuing computer system, a unique postage indicium for the requested postage transaction, wherein the unique postage indicium contains the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction that provides the mail piece tracking capability within the USPS; storing information for the postage transaction in a postage database coupled to the postage-issuing computer system, wherein the information stored for the postage transaction includes the unique tracking number and the unique postage indicium; indexing the information stored for the postage transaction in the postage database with the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction; retrieving the information indexed with the unique tracking number from the postage database in response to receiving a validation request from the USPS, wherein the validation request received from the USPS relates to a mail piece carrying a printed postage indicium that contains the unique tracking number; comparing the information retrieved from the postage database to one or more records in a transaction database that stores one or more tracking numbers contained in one or more postage indicia carried on mail pieces previously handled by the USPS; and transmitting, from the postage-issuing computer system to the USPS, data indicating whether the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece matches any of the records in the transaction database, wherein the USPS submits the mail piece for normal delivery if the data transmitted from the postage-issuing computer system indicates that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece does not match any of the records in the transaction database.