Claims
- 1. A method for processing a money-order request, the method comprising:
maintaining a list of prohibited persons; collecting name information from a customer as part of the money-order request; comparing the name information with the list of prohibited persons; and flagging the money-order request if the name information matches an entry on the list of prohibited persons.
- 2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising declining to issue the money order.
- 3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein maintaining the list of prohibited persons comprises keeping a current copy of the list in memory associated with each of a plurality of money-order dispensers.
- 4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein maintaining the list of prohibited persons comprises keeping a current copy of the list at a central location that is in communication with each of a plurality of money-order dispensers.
- 5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein comparing the name information comprises performing a partial name comparison with entries on the list of prohibited persons.
- 6. The method recited in claim 5 further comprising requesting additional identification information from the customer if there is a partial match between the name information and one of the entries.
- 7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein collecting name information comprises reading a magnetic-stripe card.
- 8. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the magnetic-stripe card comprises a preregistration card.
- 9. The method recited in claim 8 wherein comparing the name information comprises accessing a database of information having an entry corresponding to owner information for the preregistration card.
- 10. The method recited in claim 1 wherein collecting name information comprises performing a biometric scan of the customer.
- 11. The method recited in claim 1 wherein collecting name information comprises reading chip information from a chip card.
- 12. The method recited in claim 11 wherein the list is maintained on the chip card.
- 13. The method recited in claim 1 wherein collecting name information comprises optically scanning an instrument.
- 14. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the list comprises a copy of an OFAC SDN list.
- 15. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising periodically reviewing collected name information to identify anomalous repetition of certain names.
- 16. The method recited in claim 15 wherein reviewing collected name information comprises performing a statistical analysis of collected name information.
- 17. A method for processing a money-order request, the method comprising:
maintaining a list of prohibited persons; collecting name information from a customer; issuing a requested money order, the money order having a serial number; associating the name information with the serial number; comparing the name information with the list of prohibited persons; and declining to authorize payment of the money order if the name information matches an entry on the list of prohibited persons.
- 18. The method recited in claim 17 wherein comparing the name information comprises performing a partial name comparison with entries on the list of prohibited persons.
- 19. The method recited in claim 28 further comprising requesting additional identification information from the customer if there is a partial match between the name information and one of the entries.
- 20. The method recited in claim 17 wherein collecting name information comprises reading a magnetic-stripe card.
- 21. The method recited in claim 20 wherein the magnetic-stripe card comprises a preregistration card.
- 22. The method recited in claim 21 wherein comparing the name information comprises accessing a database of information having an entry corresponding to owner information for the preregistration card.
- 23. The method recited in claim 17 wherein collecting name information comprises performing a biometric scan of the customer.
- 24. The method recited in claim 17 wherein collecting name information comprises reading chip information from a chip card.
- 25. The method recited in claim 24 wherein the list is maintained on the chip card.
- 26. The method recited in claim 17 wherein collecting name information comprises optically scanning an instrument.
- 27. The method recited in claim 17 further comprising periodically reviewing collected name information to identify anomalous repetition of certain names.
- 28. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to process a money-order request in accordance with the following:
maintaining a list of prohibited persons on the storage device; collecting name information from a customer through the communications system as part of the money-order request; comparing the name information with the list of prohibited persons with the processor; and declining to issue the money order if the name information matches an entry on the list of prohibited persons.
- 29. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 28 wherein comparing the name information comprises performing a partial name comparison with entries on the list of prohibited persons.
- 30. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 28 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for periodically reviewing collected name information to identify anomalous repetition of certain names.
- 31. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to process a money-order request in accordance with the following:
maintaining a list of prohibited persons on the storage device; collecting name information from a customer through the communications system; instructing a money-order dispenser to issue a requested money order with the communications system, the money order having a serial number; associating the name information with the serial number with the processor; comparing the name information with the list of prohibited persons with the processor; and declining to authorize payment of the money order if the name information matches an entry on the list of prohibited persons.
- 32. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 31 wherein comparing the name information comprises performing a partial name comparison with entries on the list of prohibited persons.
- 33. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 31 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for periodically reviewing collected name information to identify anomalous repetition of certain names.
- 34. A method for processing a transaction request, the method comprising:
maintaining a list of prohibited persons, wherein the list identifies the prohibited persons in a common language; collecting name information from a customer, wherein the name information is in a native language of the name information; comparing the name information in the native language with the list of prohibited persons in the common language; and flagging the transaction request if the name information corresponds to an entry on the list of prohibited persons.
- 35. The method recited in claim 34 wherein comparing the name information in the native language with the list of prohibited persons is performed with a trained evaluation system.
- 36. The method recited in claim 35 wherein the trained evaluation system comprises an expert system.
- 37. The method recited in claim 35 wherein the trained evaluation system comprises a neural network.
- 38. The method recited in claim 34 wherein the transaction request comprises a traditionally anonymous transaction request.
- 39. The method recited in claim 34 wherein the transaction request comprises a traditionally nonanonymous transaction request.
- 40. The method recited in claim 34 wherein collecting name information comprises optically scanning an instrument in the native language.
- 41. The method recited in claim 34 wherein collecting name information comprises keying the name information in the native language.
- 42. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to process a money-order request in accordance with the following:
maintaining a list of prohibited persons on the storage device, wherein the list identifies the prohibited persons in a common language; collecting name information from a customer through the communications system, wherein the name information is in a native language of the name information; comparing the name information in the native language with the list of prohibited persons in the common language with the processor; and declining to execute the transaction request if the name information corresponds to an entry on the list of prohibited persons.
- 43. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 42 wherein collecting name information comprises optically scanning an instrument in the native language.
- 44. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 42 wherein collecting name information comprises keying the name information in the native language.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a nonprovisional of and claims the benefit of the priority date of each of the following provisional applications: U.S. Prov. Appl. No. 60/342,799 entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING MONEY-ORDER REQUESTS,” filed Dec. 19, 2001 by Joseph Cachey III et al.; U.S. Prov. Appl. No. 60/346,363 entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING MONEY-ORDER REQUESTS,” filed Jan. 4, 2002 by Joseph Cachey III et al.; and U.S. Prov. Appl. No. 60/398,973, filed Jul. 25, 2002 by Joseph Cachey III et al., entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING TRANSACTION REQUESTS,” the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60398973 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
|
60346363 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
|
60342799 |
Dec 2001 |
US |