Executive Summary
Based on community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-31 January 2021. Classifications and patterns below come directly from what people reported.
Contributors submitted 31 reports across 18 distinct numbers in South Australia - a moderate increase of 7% compared to December 2020.
The leading classification was Scam at 55%.
Most reports came from Adelaide, followed by Laura and Salisbury.
SA's 55% scam rate ran 8 points above the national average of 47% this month.
Beyond scam, Spam and Uncertain account for a notable share of what SA residents reported. 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 55% in January 2021, compared to 45% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in South Australia with the most reports this month.
Adelaide generated 29 reports - more than double Laura's 1. See the area pages above or the SA data dashboard for full breakdowns.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to December 2020, South Australia saw a moderate increase of 7% in report volume.
Seasonal Context
Report volume edged up 7% in January. A moderate increase like this is common when new number ranges start attracting attention.
Notable Changes
Scam accounted for 55% of classified reports in January.
Report distribution across South Australia stayed consistent, with Adelaide (29) and Laura (1) on top.
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 6 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 January 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.
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 2021. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
- Source: First-hand reports from the community.
- Scope: Numbers allocated to South Australia (SA).
- Period: 1-31 January 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.