Abstract: A method and system for enhanced fraud detection in electronic purchase transactions from a remote site. A user at a remote terminal attempting to conduct an electronic purchase is prompted to input the user's billing address and social security number, where this information is used to verify the billing address of the user. Initially, the input social security number is communicated to a local account database containing information about customers as identified by their social security number. If the local account database contains the input social security number, then a determination is made whether the account associated with that social security number has been authorized for use. If authorization for the purchase transaction is not initially approved or refused according to the information provided in the local account database, then the social security number input by the user is next checked to determine if it corresponds to the user.