Patent ID: 8370909

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of authenticating an Internet user's identity, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: a) identifying, while an Internet user is communicating with an Internet website of an Internet vendor, a computer signature of a computer being used by the Internet user, comprising one or more common identifiers, wherein: i) each common identifier of the one or more common identifiers comprises a non-unique identifier identifiable on at least one other computer on the Internet; ii) at least one of the one or more common identifiers comprises an identifier of a software installed on the Internet user's computer; and iii) the Internet user's computer is not in the possession or control of the Internet vendor; b) checking a data structure to see if the computer signature is stored in the data structure, and i) if the computer signature is not stored in the data structure, assigning, in the data structure, the Internet user's computer signature to a first geographical location by using at least a geographical location of a mobile voice device, wherein the mobile voice device and the Internet user's computer are in the possession and control of the Internet user; or ii) if the computer signature is stored in the data structure, determining a second geographical location of the mobile voice device of the Internet user; and comparing the first geographical location assigned to the computer signature with the second geographical location and iii) if the result of the comparison is within a predetermined acceptable distance value, providing to the internet user the ability to conduct a transaction.