Risk analysis based on social-networking information
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, accessing information associated with a financial activity conducted by a user who belongs to a social network; determining one or more social connections of the user within the social network; and determining legitimacy of the user using the information in connection with the financial activity based on the one or more social connections of the user.
1. A method comprising:
by a computing device, receiving a first indication that a first financial transaction has occurred, the first indication comprising:
an identity of a first social-networking user, the first social-networking user being represented by a first user node in a social graph of a social-networking system,
an identifier of a payment account used for conducting the first financial transaction; and
a first cookie associated only with a first computing device of the first social-networking user;
by the computing device, providing instructions to store the identity of the social-networking user, the identifier, and the cookie in a data cache associated with the computing device, the data cache comprising a list of identities of a plurality of other social-networking users who have previously used the payment account;
by the computing device, receiving a second indication that a second financial transaction has occurred, the second indication comprising:
an identity of a second social-networking user, the second social-networking user being represented by a second user node in the social graph;
the identifier of the payment account used for conducting the first financial transaction; and
a second cookie associated only with a second computing device not normally associated with the first social-networking user; and
by the computing device, determining that the second financial transaction is fraudulent based at least in part on a determination that (1) the second cookie is not normally associated with the first computing device, and (2) a direct social-graph connection does not exist between the first user node and the second user node in the social graph.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more other social-networking users are socially connected within the social network, wherein each user node associated with each of the one or more other social-networking users is directly connected with at least one other user node associated with one of the one or more other social-networking users.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the computing device, blocking the financial transaction.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payment account used for conducting the financial transaction is a credit card account.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first indication further comprises an identifier of an electronic device used by the social-networking user for conducting the financial transaction; and
the electronic device has previously been used by the second social-networking user for conducting the one or more other financial transactions.
6. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:
receive a first indication that a first financial transaction has occurred, the first indication comprising:
an identity of a first social-networking user, the first social-networking user being represented by a first user node in a social graph of a social-networking system,
an identifier of a payment account used for conducting the first financial transaction; and
a first cookie associated only with a first computing device of the first social-networking user;
provide instructions to store the identity of the social-networking user, the identifier, and the cookie in a data cache associated with the computing device, the data cache comprising a list of identities of a plurality of other social-networking users who have previously used the payment account;
receive a second indication that a second financial transaction has occurred, the second indication comprising:
an identity of a second social-networking user, the second social-networking user being represented by a second user node in the social graph;
the identifier of the payment account used for conducting the first financial transaction; and
a second cookie associated only with a second computing device not normally associated with the first social-networking user; and
determine that the second financial transaction is fraudulent based at least in part on a determination that (1) the second cookie is not normally associated with the first computing device, and (2) a direct social-graph connection does not exist between the first user node and the second user node in the social graph.
7. The media of claim 6 , wherein one or more other social-networking users are socially connected within the social network, wherein each user node associated with each of the one or more other social-networking users is directly connected with at least one other user node associated with one of the one or more other social-networking users.
8. The media of claim 6 , wherein the logic is further operable when executed to block the financial transaction.
9. The media of claim 6 , wherein the payment account used for conducting the financial transaction is a credit card account.
10. The media of claim 6 , wherein:
the first indication further comprises an identifier of an electronic device used by the social-networking user for conducting the financial transaction; and
the electronic device has previously been used by the second social-networking user for conducting the one or more other financial transactions.
11. A computing device comprising:
a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and
the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to:
receive a first indication that a first financial transaction has occurred, the first indication comprising:
an identity of a first social-networking user, the first social-networking user being represented by a first user node in a social graph of a social-networking system,
an identifier of a payment account used for conducting the first financial transaction; and
a first cookie associated only with a first computing device of the first social-networking user;
provide instructions to store the identity of the social-networking user, the identifier, and the cookie in a data cache associated with the computing device, the data cache comprising a list of identities of a plurality of other social-networking users who have previously used the payment account;
receive a second indication that a second financial transaction has occurred, the second indication comprising:
an identity of a second social-networking user, the second social-networking user being represented by a second user node in the social graph;
the identifier of the payment account used for conducting the first financial transaction; and
a second cookie associated only with a second computing device not normally associated with the first social-networking user; and
determine that the second financial transaction is fraudulent based at least in part on a determination that (1) the second cookie is not normally associated with the first computing device, and (2) a direct social-graph connection does not exist between the first user node and the second user node in the social graph.
12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the payment account used for conducting the financial transaction is a credit card account.