Patent ID: 7894589

Claim:
A method for identifying telemarketer communications directed to a subscriber of a call screening service comprising: receiving a call from a calling party directed to a subscriber of the call screening service; determining whether a telephone directory number of the calling party is known, the determining performed by a service package application accessing a database; if the telephone directory number of the calling party is known, determining whether the telephone directory number of the calling party matches one or more telephone directory numbers stored in a database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications; and if the telephone directory number of the calling party matches one or more of the telephone directory numbers stored in the database of telephone directory numbers associated with telemarketer communications, intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service; wherein when the telephone directory number of the calling party is unknown, intercepting the call from reaching the subscriber of the call screening service and requesting that the calling party record a purpose for the call prior to routing the call to the subscriber.