Location-based authentication of transactions conducted using mobile devices

1. A method for authenticating a transaction conducted at a point of sale (POS) device by a customer, the method comprising:

at a POS registry in a transaction authentication system, storing, in association with a POS ID corresponding to each of one or more POS devices, POS location data pertaining to the location of the corresponding POS device, wherein the POS location data stored in the POS registry is based on information from one or more past transactions at the corresponding POS device, including the location of mobile devices used for the one or more past transactions, the POS location data generated by:

receiving transaction data for the one or more past transactions conducted at corresponding POS device, including an identifier for a mobile device used for the one or more past transactions;

determining the location of the mobile device used for the one or more past transactions;

determining whether the one or more past transactions conducted at the corresponding POS device have been authenticated; and

determining the location of the corresponding POS device based on the location of the mobile device used for the one or more past transactions that have been authenticated; and

storing the determined location of the specified POS device as POS location data in the POS registry;

at a PAN registry in the transaction authentication system, storing, in association with an account ID corresponding to each of one or more accounts, a mobile device ID identifying a mobile device of the customer;

receiving, at the transaction authentication system, transaction data for a transaction conducted against a specified account at a specified POS device by the customer, the transaction data comprising a POS identifier for the specified POS device and an account ID for the specified account;

with the received transaction data at the transaction authentication system, (1) accessing the POS registry for location data for the specified POS device, and (2) accessing the PAN registry to retrieve the mobile device ID associated with the mobile device of the customer;

using the retrieved mobile device ID to determine location data for the mobile device, by accessing location information maintained by a mobile service provider at a home location register (HLR) of the mobile service provider; and

comparing the accessed location data for the specified POS device and the determined location data for mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the accessed mobile device ID to determine the location data for the mobile device comprises:

accessing the home location register maintained by or for a mobile service provider providing mobile services to the mobile device, wherein the home location register stores location data corresponding to the mobile device ID for each of a plurality of mobile devices; and

using the accessed mobile device ID to retrieve the stored location data for the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location information at the home location register is stored when the mobile device has been authenticated to use a mobile service network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the location information is associated with a mobile switching center (MSC) having a coverage area serving the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction is conducted using the mobile device as a presentation instrument.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction is conducted using a presentation instrument separate from the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the POS device location data is based at least in part on recent transactions conducted at a POS device by one or more mobile devices, where the recent transactions have been determined to be valid.

8. A system for authenticating a transaction conducted at a point of sale (POS) device by a customer having a mobile device, comprising:

a POS registry storing POS location data in association with a POS ID corresponding to each of one or more POS devices, POS location data pertaining to the location of the corresponding POS device, wherein the POS location data stored in the POS registry is based on information from one or more past transactions at the corresponding POS device, including the location of mobile devices used for the one or more past transactions, the POS location data generated by:

receiving transaction data for the one or more past transactions conducted at the corresponding POS device, including an identifier for a mobile device used for the one or more past transactions;

determining the location of the mobile device used for the one or more past transactions;

determining whether the one or more past transactions conducted at the corresponding POS device have been authenticated; and

determining the location of the corresponding POS device based on the location of the mobile device used for the one or more past transactions that have been authenticated; and

storing the determined location of the corresponding POS device as POS location data in the POS registry;

a PAN registry storing a mobile device ID in association with each of a plurality of an account IDs, each mobile device ID used for accessing location data that is stored by a mobile service provider and that identifies locations corresponding to mobile device IDs;

wherein, upon a transaction being conducted by the customer at a POS device, a POS device ID is received at the system and used to access the POS registry to retrieve location data for a POS device corresponding to the received POS device ID, an account ID is received at the system and used to access the PAN registry to retrieve a mobile device ID stored in association with the received account ID, and the retrieved mobile device ID is used to access location data for the mobile device from a mobile service provider at a home location register (HLR) of the mobile service provider; and

wherein the authenticity of the transaction is evaluated based at least in part on a comparison of the retrieved location data from the POS registry and the accessed location data for the mobile device from the mobile service provider.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the retrieved mobile device ID is used to access location data for the mobile device by:

accessing the home location register maintained by or for a mobile service provider providing mobile services to the specified mobile device, wherein the home location register stores location data corresponding to the mobile device ID for each of a plurality of mobile devices; and

using the accessed mobile device ID to retrieve the stored location data for the mobile device from the home location register.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the location information at the home location register is stored when the mobile device has been authenticated to use a mobile service network.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the location information is associated with a mobile switching center (MSC) having a coverage area serving the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the transaction is conducted using the mobile device as a presentation instrument.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the transaction is conducted using a presentation instrument separate from the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the POS device location data is based at least in part on recent transactions conducted at a POS device by one or more mobile devices, where the recent transactions have been determined to be valid.