An anti-telemarketing program uses the calling party identification of an
incoming call to determine if the call is a telemarketing call by
accessing a telemarketing database. The incoming call can be identified
as a telemarketing call by direct correlation with a known telemarketing
number or by indirect correlation by not being included within a list of
known non-telemarketing numbers. If an incoming call is identified as a
telemarketing call, and no override condition is set, the call will not
be allowed to ring through to the desired phone line; instead, it will be
terminated by a call progress tone or by a notification that the desired
phone line does not accept calls from telemarketers. If an incoming call
is not identified as a telemarketing call, it will be completed, and if
it is from a telemarketer, the party receiving the call can designate the
calling party identification from the call as belonging to a
telemarketer. The designated calling party identification can be added to
the telemarketing database when a preselected criterion for addition,
such as independent verification or designation of the same number by
multiple parties, is met.