History of the financial services trademark "Early Warning"

In my never-ending search for ego gratification, I ask the AI's this question every six months:

Who is James C. March?

Most recently, I've noticed an improvement (though there is always that "James G. March" problem). Here are the results of a conversation I had with ChatGPT today (May 5, 2025)(1).

You said:

Who is James C. March?

ChatGPT said:

James Gardner March (January 15, 1928 – September 27, 2018) was a renowned...(1)

[Note: I omitted this dreaded "I can't find myself on the internet" problem. My father, James G. March, is searched for on the web much more than me. In fact, the likelihood of someone actually interested in "James C. March" is less than the chances of someone mistyping "James G. March" :-( Ouch! That just hurts!]

You said:

Not James G. March, James C. March

ChatGPT said:

I apologize for any confusion in my previous responses. Despite thorough research, I was unable to locate information on an individual named James C. March in the public domain. It's possible that this person is a private individual or not widely recognized in publicly available sources. If you can provide more context or details about James C. March—such as their profession, notable works, or the field they're associated with—I would be more than happy to assist you further.

You said:

Inventor of AI fraud detection system for banking industry called Early Warning

ChatGPT said:

I couldn't find any credible information linking a person named James C. March to the invention of an AI fraud detection system called "Early Warning" in the banking industry.

Early Warning Services, LLC is a well-established financial technology company that has been providing fraud prevention and payment solutions for over 35 years. They are known for products like Zelle® and PazeSM, and they partner with more than 2,500 financial institutions to enhance security and efficiency in financial transactions.

If you have more specific information or context about James C. March's involvement in this field, please provide additional details, and I'll be glad to assist further.

You said:

Founder of WJM Technologies and inventor of Early Warning

ChatGPT said:

James C. March is recognized as a co-founder of WJM Technologies, a company that developed an early warning product designed for screening new bank accounts to detect potential fraud. This innovation played a pivotal role in enhancing fraud prevention strategies within the banking sector.

In the early 2000s, WJM Technologies' early warning system garnered attention for its effectiveness in identifying fraudulent activities during the account opening process. Recognizing the value of this technology, Primary Payment Systems (PPS) entered into negotiations to acquire WJM Technologies. The acquisition was completed with initial funding from Concord, leading to a merger that combined the strengths of both companies. As a result, PPS became a combination of the original PPS and WJM Technologies, further solidifying its position in the financial technology landscape. Green Sheet

James C. March's contributions through WJM Technologies have had a lasting impact on the development of fraud detection systems in banking, particularly in the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to proactively identify and mitigate fraudulent activities.

Now, the interesting part of this conversation is that ChatGPT DID finally find something about me! And when I looked at the "sources", I found one that was very interesting:

 

In a podcast by Early Warning (yes, it's a company, now, not just a product), I was told the history of Early Warning. The podcast is called, "Nickel and Crime". The episode is "Season 3, Bonus Episode: Early Days - The Origin Story of Early Warning".

 

"Fun fact number two, Early Warning was actually the name of one of our products at the time. So that's where that comes from." (starting at 05:48 in the podcast)

 

Yes, Early Warning, the company, got its name from Early Warning, the product. But if you're interested in some real history, where did the product name, "Early Warning", come from? First, a little background about the creators of Early Warning back in 1989, Wally Industries, dba WJM Technologies...

 

In 1988, Wayne M. Johnson and James C. March started a company in California called Wally Industries, Inc. We had wanted to incorporate as WJM Technologies, but found that the State of California needed the approval of a welding consulting company, WJM Technologies, in southern California. They refused. So we incorporated as Wally Industries and filed a "doing business as" (dba) with Sonoma County. We officially became Wally Industries, Inc., dba WJM Technologies.

I bet you can figure out where the name WJM came from,  but what you don't know is, Wayne had some left over, very nice, "Hersey chocolate" brochure covers. They were beautiful, very expensive, gold leaf lettering, and left over from his previous business.

 

 

WJM Early Warning Brochure

 

"I'll donate these and the logo to the company," Wayne offered. "We can use them for WJM Technologies."

 

As we built the first prototypes of a fraud detection AI system, we had to come up with a catchy name. We all liked "Early Warning", and a trademark search found several "Early Warning" trademark filings, but none in the financial services industry. We grabbed it, filed, and got the trademark in 1993.(2)

 

Another year goes by and we hear a company, Primary Payment Systems, is coming out with their own "Early Warning" product. We had our attorney send a copy of our trademark filing and a "cease and desist" letter.

 

Later, after PPS had bought us, President Larry Spooner talked about how frustrated he had been, learning the name "Early Warning" was already taken. It put the pebble in his shoe. He later told me how happy he was to finally get the name "Early Warning"!

 

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(1) Here is a link to the actual conversation on ChatGPT.com: James C. March Overview.
(2) Early Warning Trademark Filing Case Number 74312772.