Patent ID: 7697667

Claim:
Apparatus comprising: a voicemail database for storing messages awaiting retrieval by a subscriber, each stored message comprising a message header and message data, said message header including a calling party phone number and calling party network information; and a voicemail controller for coupling to said voicemail database and to a switch of a telecommunications network for handling an incoming call from a calling party to said subscriber which is not answered by said subscriber, wherein said voicemail controller compares said calling party phone number of said incoming call with calling party phone numbers of each of said stored messages for said subscriber; wherein if said calling party phone number of said incoming call matches at least one calling party phone number of said stored messages then authenticating said incoming call by comparing said calling party network information for said incoming call with calling party network information stored for said calling party phone number matching messages; and wherein if said calling party network information for said incoming call matches calling party network information stored for said calling party phone number matching messages then presenting an option to said calling party of said incoming call to alter those stored message for which said calling party network information matches.