Systems and methods for social networking. Location-related data and other behavioral and exogenously generated characteristics are used to replace or supplement self-generated profiles in order to enhance the quality and trustworthiness of the matches made using the system and facilitate the inputting of profile information.

A communication device and method can include one or more processors operatively coupled to memory and an audible output device, where the one or more processors receive a call from a calling party that includes caller identification information and a voice paging message associated with the caller identification information, presenting the caller identification information, presenting the voice paging message as an alias of or to a ring tone or interleaved with the ring tone before the call from the calling party is answered or rejected. Other embodiments are disclosed.

System and method for detecting SMS parameters manipulation. A first SMS registry is coupled to a first Short Message Service Center (SMSC) and optionally to other SMS registries. The first SMSC is within a terminating telephone network. The first SMS registry receives first and second information about an SMS message that was sent from another telephone network or from an External Short Messaging Entity (ESME) and is destined to the first SMSC. The first and second information represent status of the SMS message respectively before and after the SMS message enters the terminating telephone network. The first SMS registry or a firewall automatically compares at least corresponding portions of the first and second information. As a result of the comparison, in response to detecting a difference between the at least portions of the first and second information, the first SMS registry automatically sends a signal indicating SMS parameter manipulation.

A computer-implemented network verification system includes a second device situated in a terminating call network and configured to receive a call signal from a first device situated in an originating network. The first device is coupled to a first registry that stores originating call records. The first registry is configured to obtain, from the first device, and store call data and a SIP identity header associated with the call signal. The system also includes a second registry coupled to the second device and configured to receive, from the first registry over an out-of-band verification network, a first verification request that contains the originating call record, including the SIP identity header associated with the call signal. The second registry is further configured to send the SIP identity header contained in the first verification request to the second device.

One example method of operation may include identifying a call originated from a caller entity destined for a called entity at a call content server, identifying a called number associated with the called entity and a caller number associated with the caller entity, comparing a telephone number prefix associated with the called number with a number of enhanced call content data elements to identify a match, selecting one or more of the enhanced call content data elements to pair with the called number based on the match, and forwarding the selected enhanced call content data elements to the called entity.

A system for authenticating the identity of a caller (i) receives a phone call from a caller, where the phone call is initiated through an application on a remote computer device associated with the caller, and where the phone call includes one or more phone authentication credentials; (ii) determines a preliminary identity of the caller based upon the one or more phone authentication credentials; (iii) receives online authentication credentials from the application on the remote computer device; (iv) determines a confirmed identity of the caller based, at least in part, upon the one or more online credentials and the preliminary identity of the caller; and (v) displays the confirmed identity of the caller to a user answering the phone call. As a result, the user and/or the system do not need to perform additional authentication before providing service to the caller.

To provide a called one with information on the caller, a reference to a resource containing real-time or near-real-time information relating to the caller, or information deduced using the real-time or near-real-time information, or the real-time or near-real-time information, or the information deduced using the real-time or near-real-time information, is transmitted with a connection establishment request, and the information in the resource or the received information is displayed to the called one before the requested connection is established so that the called one can make a decision whether or not to answer the call.

A method for identifying communicators as wanted or unwanted based on messages from such communicators comprising receiving, by the data processing system, an inbound message from a communicator, comparing, by the data processing system, the inbound message to fingerprints stored in a database accessible to the data processing system, determining, by the data processing system, at least one match to the fingerprints, determining, by the data processing system, an identity of the communicator by determining whether and how likely the communicator is wanted or unwanted based on the at least one match to the fingerprints, and configuring, by the data processing system, handling of calls from the communicator based on the identity.

A method for identifying communicators as wanted or unwanted based on messages from such communicators comprising receiving, by the data processing system, an inbound message from a communicator, comparing, by the data processing system, the inbound message to fingerprints stored in a database accessible to the data processing system, determining, by the data processing system, at least one match to the fingerprints, determining, by the data processing system, an identity of the communicator by determining whether and how likely the communicator is wanted or unwanted based on the at least one match to the fingerprints, and configuring, by the data processing system, handling of calls from the communicator based on the identity.

A system, method, and computer readable medium for providing additional information to called parties comprises receiving a call from a calling party, performing a lookup of information associated with the calling party in a database, receiving the information from the database, and forwarding the information to a called party. The system comprises at least one device for receiving a call from a calling party, and at least one database for storing information associated with the calling party, wherein the at least one device is operable to perform a lookup of information associated with the calling party in a database, receive the information from the database, and forward the information to a called party.