Executive Summary
Based on community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-31 March 2020. Classifications and patterns below come directly from what people reported.
Contributors submitted 33 reports across 17 distinct numbers in South Australia - relatively stable levels compared to February 2020.
The leading classification was Scam at 42%.
Most reports came from Adelaide, followed by Bunbury and Salisbury.
SA's 42% scam rate ran 17 points above the national average of 25% this month.
Beyond scam, Uncertain and Spam 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 42% in March 2020, compared to Spam at 29% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in South Australia with the most reports this month.
Adelaide generated 24 reports - more than double Bunbury's 7. See the area pages above or the SA data dashboard for full breakdowns.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to February 2020, South Australia saw relatively stable levels in report volume.
Seasonal Context
March volume held steady compared to the prior month - no major campaigns appeared or dropped off.
Notable Changes
Scam accounted for 42% of classified reports in March.
Report distribution across South Australia stayed consistent, with Adelaide (24) and Bunbury (7) 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
3 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.
Previous Month's Flagged Numbers
Numbers that were trending in February 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 1-31 March 2020. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
- Source: First-hand reports from the community.
- Scope: Numbers allocated to South Australia (SA).
- Period: 1-31 March 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.