Patent ID: 8868458

Claim:
A computer-implemented remote control method for providing financial account security to prevent unauthorized use of the financial account, the method comprising: storing in at least one computer memory, data and instructions pertaining to financial accounts; accessing the at least one computer memory using at least one computer processor to execute the instructions and to perform steps including: providing, for an account holder computing device, a graphical user interface for facilitating and providing a first set of two or more selectable options for automatic activation and deactivation of the financial account, wherein the account holder initiates the activation and deactivation; generating, by said at least one computer processor, an account holder command from the account holder through the provided graphical user interface; receiving over a network, from the account holder computing device, said account holder command; validating said account holder command; authenticating, by said at least one computer processor, the account holder command; and processing, by said at least one computer processor, the account holder command entered through the provided graphical user interface using a command processing engine, the command processing engine changing an account status from an active state that allows transactions based on the identity of the account holder to an inactive state that denies transactions based on the identity of the account holder when the command is a deactivation command and from an inactive state to an active state when the command is an activation command, wherein the account status does not change until a subsequent account holder command is received; wherein a second set of two or more selectable options at least permit the account holder to either authorize or dispute a charge associated with the financial account.