Executive Summary
Based on community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-29 February 2020. Classifications and patterns below come directly from what people reported.
Contributors submitted 34 reports across 16 distinct numbers in South Australia - a significant increase of 42% compared to January 2020.
The leading classification was Spam at 29%.
Most reports came from Adelaide, followed by Bunbury and Bower.
SA's 12% scam rate sat 8 points below the national average of 20%.
Spam and Nuisance actually outpaced scam this month, making the overall classification mix broader than usual. The SA data dashboard has up-to-date numbers and classifications.
Classification Breakdown
How people in SA classified the numbers they reported this month.
Spam led at 29% in February 2020, compared to Scam at 29% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in South Australia with the most reports this month.
Adelaide led with 21 reports, Bunbury followed at 11. See the area pages above or the SA data dashboard for full breakdowns.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to January 2020, South Australia saw a significant increase of 42% in report volume.
Seasonal Context
February saw a 42% jump in reports compared to the prior month. Spikes this size usually trace back to one or two high-volume campaigns entering the dataset.
Notable Changes
Spam made up 29% of classified reports in February, with scam at 12%.
Adelaide (21 reports) and Bunbury (11) remained the busiest areas despite the overall increase.
Trends & Observations
Several numbers collected reports in a short time frame and were quickly classified as scam by contributors.
Numbers Picking Up Reports Quickly
5 numbers in SA picked up multiple reports in a short period this month, which typically indicates active call campaigns.
Flagged numbers averaged 4 reports each, suggesting these campaigns are still in early stages.
Reports on these numbers came from multiple areas across SA, which points to automated dialling rather than calls targeting a single region.
Mixed Classifications
Some numbers got both scam and non-scam reports during February 2020. This can happen when a legitimate number is being spoofed, when a business number starts getting used for something else, or when people simply aren't sure what the call was about. These are worth keeping an eye on.
Previous Month's Flagged Numbers
Numbers that were trending in January 2020 - did they continue or go quiet?
Safety Tips
- Don't call back unknown 08 numbers without checking them first.
- The ATO, Centrelink, and Medicare won't threaten you over the phone. If someone claims to be from a government agency, hang up and call the official number yourself.
- Don't tap payment or delivery links in texts from numbers you don't recognise.
- Got a suspicious call? Report it - every report helps other people in South Australia.
- Look up numbers on Reverseau before calling back.
How We Compiled This
Built from community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-29 February 2020. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
- Source: First-hand reports from the community.
- Scope: Numbers allocated to South Australia (SA).
- Period: 1-29 February 2020.
- Classifications: Chosen by the person who reported the number.
- Limitations: This is what people reported, not verified telecom records. Volume depends on how many people use the platform.
More detail on our methodology page. Full dataset on the SA data dashboard.