Executive Summary
Based on community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-28 February 2021. Classifications and patterns below come directly from what people reported.
Contributors submitted 55 reports across 29 distinct numbers in South Australia - a significant increase of 77% compared to January 2021.
The leading classification was Uncertain at 25%.
Most reports came from Adelaide, followed by Salisbury and Mclaren Vale.
SA's 22% scam rate sat 21 points below the national average of 43%.
Uncertain 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.
Uncertain led at 25% in February 2021, compared to Scam at 55% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in South Australia with the most reports this month.
Adelaide generated 46 reports - more than double Salisbury's 4. See the area pages above or the SA data dashboard for full breakdowns.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to January 2021, South Australia saw a significant increase of 77% in report volume.
Seasonal Context
February saw a 77% 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
Uncertain made up 25% of classified reports in February, with scam at 22%.
Adelaide (46 reports) and Salisbury (4) 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 5 reports each, meaning multiple people encountered them independently.
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 2021. 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 2021 - 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 1-28 February 2021. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
- Source: First-hand reports from the community.
- Scope: Numbers allocated to South Australia (SA).
- Period: 1-28 February 2021.
- 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.