Patent ID: 7873030

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: computing an encrypted hash of a telephone number with a processor; initiating, with the processor, a first search of a registry for a matching entry that matches the encrypted hash of the telephone number, wherein the registry comprises a plurality of entries, each of the entries comprising: an encrypted hash of either a respective registered telephone number or a respective registered telephone number prefix; and data associated with either the respective registered telephone number or the respective registered telephone number prefix; and if none of the entries match the encrypted hash of the telephone number, then: determining at least one telephone number prefix from the telephone number by stripping at least one of the last digits off of the telephone number; computing, with the processor, each of at least one encrypted hash from a corresponding one of the at least one telephone number prefix; and initiating, with the processor, at least one second search of the registry for any of the entries that match the at least one encrypted hash.