US Patent 10521786 Method of reducing fraud in on-line transactions

The invention provides a method for verifying the identity of an internet user, or for detecting the misuse of an identity, during an on-line transaction. The method involves comparing the geographic location of the transaction to the geographic location of the user's cell phone or other mobile device, and taking a geographically close location relationship between the two as a positive indication of identity. Various additional factors are taken into account so as to reduce the incidence of false negatives, and to improve the reliability of positive identifications.