IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,902,786
Granted Patent B1
US 11,902,786 · App. 17/446,860 · Granted Feb 13, 2024

SIM swap fraud prevention

Inventors: Anuj Sharma (Broadlands, VA); Chris Jensen (Snoqualmie, WA); Rajil Malhotra (Olathe, KS); Sriharsha Kadalbal (Sammamish, WA); Deepesh Belwal (Ashburn, VA); Tupalli Shruthisagar (Aldie, VA); Dipta Biswas (Bothell, WA); Anil Kumar Mariyani (Ashburn, VA)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
H04W12/35G06F21/88
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,902,786
App. No.
17/446,860
Granted
Feb 13, 2024
Kind
B1
Abstract

A carrier network may detect and prevent completion of SIM swap frauds. For example, a carrier network may, based at least in part on a SIM swap request to replace a first SIM associated with a subscriber with a second SIM, store first information associated with the first SIM. Subsequent to the execution of a SIM swap to replace the first SIM with the second SIM, the carrier network may perform fraud detection on the SIM swap based at least in part on the first information associated with the first SIM stored based at least in part on the SIM swap request and based at least in part on second information associated with the second SIM and based at least in part on the SIM swap being detected as fraudulent by the fraud detection, cause the second SIM to be prohibited from operating with respect to the subscriber.

Claims (61)

1. A method comprising:

based at least in part on a SIM swap request to replace a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of a user equipment (UE) associated with a subscriber with a second SIM, storing, by a fraud detection system, first information associated with the first SIM;

subsequent to an execution of a SIM swap to replace the first SIM with the second SIM, receiving, by a carrier network associated with the UE, an attach request from the UE with the second SIM;

in response to the attach request and a usage of the UE operating with the second SIM, performing, by the fraud detection system, fraud detection on the SIM swap based at least in part on the first information associated with the first SIM stored based at least in part on the SIM swap request and based at least in part on second information associated with the second SIM, wherein an equipment identity register (EIR) of the carrier network detects the usage of the UE operating with the second SIM based at least in part on a first international mobile equipment identity (IMEI)/international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) check received by the EIR with respect to the second SIM; and

based at least in part on the SIM swap being detected as fraudulent by the fraud detection, causing, by the fraud detection system, the second SIM to be prohibited from operating with respect to the subscriber,

wherein the fraud detection includes at least two of:

comparing a first physical location of the first SIM with a second physical location of the second SIM;

comparing a first access system connected to the first SIM with a second access system connected to the second SIM; and

performing detection with respect to one or more of calls and text after the SIM swap for unusual patterns.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the SIM swap request at a provisioning system of the carrier network;

requesting, by the provisioning system, the fraud detection system perform preparations for the fraud detection to be conducted subsequent to the execution of the SIM swap, the preparations for the fraud detection including causing the storing of the first information associated with the first SIM;

receiving, by the provisioning system, confirmation of completion of the preparations; and

at least partly in response to receiving the confirmation, requesting, by the provisioning system, execution of the SIM swap replace the first SIM with the second SIM by a subscriber database.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the first information includes:

receiving, by the fraud detection system, a request to prepare for the fraud detection to be conducted subsequent to the execution of the SIM swap; and

requesting, by the fraud detection system, the first information from a subscriber database.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the fraud detection system, a request performs the fraud detection on the SIM swap; and

at least partly in response to receiving the request to perform the fraud detection, requesting, by the fraud detection system, the second information from a subscriber database.

5. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices of a carrier network configured to perform operations including:

based at least in part on a subscriber identity module (SIM) swap request to replace a first SIM of a user equipment (UE) associated with a subscriber with a second SIM, storing, by a fraud detection system, first information associated with the first SIM;

subsequent to an execution of a SIM swap to replace the first SIM with the second SIM, receiving, by the carrier network, an attach request from the UE with the second SIM;

in response to the attach request and a usage of the UE operating with the second SIM, performing, by a fraud detection system, fraud detection on the SIM swap based at least in part on the first information associated with the first SIM stored based at least in part on the SIM swap request and based at least in part on second information associated with the second SIM, wherein an equipment identity register (EIR) of the carrier network detects the usage of the UE operating with the second SIM based at least in part on a first international mobile equipment identity (IMEI)/international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) check received by the EIR with respect to the second SIM; and

based at least in part on the SIM swap being detected as fraudulent by the fraud detection, causing, by a fraud detection system, the second SIM to be prohibited from operating with respect to the subscriber,

wherein the fraud detection includes at least two of:

comparing a first physical location of the first SIM with a second physical location of the second SIM;

comparing a first access system connected to the first SIM with a second access system connected to the second SIM; and

performing detection with respect to one or more of calls and text after the SIM swap for unusual patterns.

6. The system of claim 5 , the operations further comprising:

receiving the SIM swap request at a provisioning system of the carrier network;

requesting, by the provisioning system, the fraud detection system perform preparations for the fraud detection to be conducted subsequent to the execution of the SIM swap, the preparations for the fraud detection including causing the storing of the first information associated with the first SIM;

receiving, by the provisioning system, confirmation of completion of the preparations; and

at least partly in response to receiving the confirmation, requesting, by the provisioning system, execution of the SIM swap replace the first SIM with the second SIM by a subscriber database.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein storing the first information includes:

receiving, by the fraud detection system, a request to prepare for the fraud detection to be conducted subsequent to the execution of the SIM swap; and

requesting, by the fraud detection system, the first information from a subscriber database.

8. The system of claim 5 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the fraud detection system, a request performs the fraud detection on the SIM swap; and

at least partly in response to receiving the request to perform the fraud detection, requesting, by the fraud detection system, the second information from a subscriber database.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

based at least in part on a subscriber identity module (SIM) swap request to replace a first SIM of a user equipment (UE) associated with a subscriber with a second SIM, storing, by a fraud detection system, first information associated with the first SIM;

subsequent to an execution of a SIM swap to replace the first SIM with the second SIM, receiving, by a carrier network associated with the UE, an attach request from the UE with the second SIM;

in response to the attach request and a usage of the UE operating with the second SIM, performing, by the fraud detection system, fraud detection on the SIM swap based at least in part on the first information associated with the first SIM stored based at least in part on the SIM swap request and based at least in part on second information associated with the second SIM, wherein an equipment identity register (EIR) of the carrier network detects the usage of the UE operating with the second SIM based at least in part on a first international mobile equipment identity (IMEI)/international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) check received by the EIR with respect to the second SIM; and

based at least in part on the SIM swap being detected as fraudulent by the fraud detection, causing, by the fraud detection system, the second SIM to be prohibited from operating with respect to the subscriber,

wherein the fraud detection includes at least two of:

comparing a first physical location of the first SIM with a second physical location of the second SIM;

comparing a first access system connected to the first SIM with a second access system connected to the second SIM; and

performing detection with respect to one or more of calls and text after the SIM swap for unusual patterns.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

receiving the SIM swap request at a provisioning system of the carrier network;

requesting, by the provisioning system, the fraud detection system perform preparations for the fraud detection to be conducted subsequent to the execution of the SIM swap, the preparations for the fraud detection including causing the storing of the first information associated with the first SIM;

receiving, by the provisioning system, confirmation of completion of the preparations; and

at least partly in response to receiving the confirmation, requesting, by the provisioning system, execution of the SIM swap replace the first SIM with the second SIM by a subscriber database.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein storing the first information includes:

receiving, by the fraud detection system, a request to prepare for the fraud detection to be conducted subsequent to the execution of the SIM swap; and

requesting, by the fraud detection system, the first information from a subscriber database.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

receiving, by the fraud detection system, a request performs the fraud detection on the SIM swap; and

at least partly in response to receiving the request to perform the fraud detection, requesting, by the fraud detection system, the second information from a subscriber database.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2021
From: SHARMA, ANUJ; JENSEN, CHRIS; MALHOTRA, RAJIL; KADALBAL, SRIHARSHA; BELWAL, DEEPESH; SHRUTHISAGAR, TUPALLI; BISWAS, DIPTA; MARIYANI, ANIL KUMAR
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 057381/0357 →
Cited By (5)
US 12,256,222 US 12,543,145 US 12,598,470 US 12,646,067 US 12,696,095