Executive Summary
Based on community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-31 January 2020. Classifications and patterns below come directly from what people reported.
Contributors submitted 24 reports across 15 distinct numbers in South Australia - a notable decrease of 29% compared to December 2019.
The leading classification was Scam at 29%.
Most reports came from Adelaide, followed by Bunbury.
SA's 29% scam rate ran 7 points above the national average of 22% this month.
Spam and Uncertain 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.
Scam led at 29% in January 2020, compared to Uncertain at 26% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in South Australia with the most reports this month.
Adelaide led with 14 reports, Bunbury followed at 10. See the area pages above or the SA data dashboard for full breakdowns.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to December 2019, South Australia saw a notable decrease of 29% in report volume.
Seasonal Context
The 29% drop in January is substantial. This often follows a particularly active prior month - elevated periods tend to revert.
Notable Changes
Scam accounted for 29% of classified reports in January.
Even with the 29% drop statewide, Adelaide still logged 14 reports - the decline was spread across most areas.
Trends & Observations
Several numbers collected reports in a short time frame and were quickly classified as scam by contributors.
Numbers Picking Up Reports Quickly
2 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, 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 January 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 December 2019 - 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 1-31 January 2020. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
- Source: First-hand reports from the community.
- Scope: Numbers allocated to South Australia (SA).
- Period: 1-31 January 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.