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

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

• 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:
• collect data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the collected data including contact and address book information that are stored on the plurality of telephony devices and call detail records from the one or more phone number data sources;
• store the collected data into a directory, wherein the directory has been enhanced by edits provided from one or more users of the plurality of telephony devices;
• determine a likelihood of an incoming call to a phone device being from an unwanted caller based on the collected data;
• handle the incoming call based on the determined likelihood exceeding a threshold value set as likely to be that of an unwanted caller, wherein the incoming call is handled according to one or more preferences of a user of the phone device;
• and
• store the determined likelihood of the incoming call being from an unwanted caller into the directory.

Non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program code that when executed by a programmable processor causes execution of a method for identifying an unwanted caller, the computer-readable media comprising:

• computer program code for collecting data about callers from a plurality of telephony devices and one or more phone number data sources, the collected data including contact and address book information that are stored on the plurality of telephony devices and call detail records from the one or more phone number data sources;
• computer program code for storing the collected data into a directory, wherein the directory has been enhanced by edits provided from one or more users of the plurality of telephony devices;
• computer program code for determining a likelihood of an incoming call to a phone device being from an unwanted caller based on the collected data;
• computer program code for handling the incoming call based on the determined likelihood exceeding a threshold value set as likely to be that of an unwanted caller, wherein the incoming call is handled according to one or more preferences of a user of the phone device;
• and
• computer program code for storing the determined likelihood of the incoming call being from an unwanted caller into the directory.