Abstract: A method and a system for recording information about a call in which voice signals of a party initiating a call are recorded, an acceptance verification query call to a billed party of the call is generated, and voice signals that are an affirmative response to the acceptance verification query call by the billed party are recorded. The voice signals of the party initiating the call and the billed party are then digitized and stored in a memory. The call can be a collect call or a bill-to-third-party call. Additionally, information relating to the time, date, the originating telephone number and the terminating telephone number of the call are stored in the memory. When the billed party challenges the charges for the call, the recorded voice signals of the party initiating the call and the billed party are generated as information that can be used for sustaining the charges.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automating the processing of foreign collect calls to U.S. telephone numbers. By automating the check of the U.S. telephone number against the pay telephone numbers and other non-billable numbers in U.S. databases, the amount of foreign operator effort required is reduced. The apparatus and method also reduces the losses to U.S. telephone companies due to foreign collect call processing errors and foreign collect calls fraudulently completed to pay telephones or other non-billable telephone numbers.