System and method for identifying and handling unwanted callers using a call answering system

A call answering server comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory having executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• identify a phone number of a caller associated with an incoming call to a phone device;
• search a directory including information about the phone number from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, wherein the directory has been enhanced by edits provided from one or more users of the plurality of telephony devices;
• calculate a probability that the phone number is associated with an unwanted caller based on the information;
• and
• handle the incoming call based on the probability that the phone number is associated with an unwanted caller according to one or more preferences of a user associated with the phone device, the one or more preferences including rejecting the incoming call, playing a recorded message, and disposing of the incoming call.

A system for identifying an unwanted caller, the system comprising:

• a directory including phone numbers identified as unwanted callers based on information about the phone numbers and in accordance with one or more rules, the information including call activity associated with the phone numbers and the one or more rules including characteristics pertaining to call activity associated with unwanted callers, wherein the directory has been enhanced by edits provided from one or more users of a plurality of telephony devices;
• and
• a phone device executing a call answering application configured to:
• identify a phone number of a caller associated with an incoming call to the phone device,
• search the directory for the phone number of the caller, and
• handle the incoming call based on the search of the directory wherein unwanted callers are forwarded to a call answering server.