Enabling control over multiple forms of communication to a recipient, such as email, instant messages, cell phone calls, conventional phone calls, faxes, and the like. The recipient defines rules for authenticating senders and for determining when, where, and how communication from the senders is transmitted to the recipient's preferred receiving device(s). The rules are stored in a database of a central service. The central service applies the rules to incoming email, instant messages, calls, faxes, etc. The central service screens unauthentic senders according the recipients rules associated with each form of communication, requiring the sender to provide some proof of identification. If authenticated, the central service enables a sender to communicate with the recipient via the recipient's currently preferred receiving device. If necessary, the central service converts incoming communications to the recipient's preferred form of communication for transmission to the recipient's preferred voice mail, cell phone, instant message service, etc.