Executive Summary
Based on community reports submitted to Reverseau between 1-31 May 2020. Classifications and patterns below come directly from what people reported.
Contributors submitted 20 reports across 8 distinct numbers in South Australia - a significant increase of 186% compared to April 2020.
The leading classification was Scam at 45%.
Most reports came from Adelaide.
SA's 45% scam rate ran 12 points above the national average of 33% this month.
Beyond scam, Nuisance 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 45% in May 2020, compared to Spam at 43% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in South Australia with the most reports this month.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to April 2020, South Australia saw a significant increase of 186% in report volume.
Seasonal Context
May saw a 186% 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
Scam accounted for 45% of classified reports in May.
Trends & Observations
Several numbers collected reports in a short time frame and were quickly classified as scam by contributors.
Numbers Picking Up Reports Quickly
1 number in SA picked up multiple reports in a short period this month, which typically indicates active call campaigns.
Flagged numbers averaged 11 reports each, meaning multiple people encountered them independently.
Mixed Classifications
Some numbers got both scam and non-scam reports during May 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.
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 May 2020. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
- Source: First-hand reports from the community.
- Scope: Numbers allocated to South Australia (SA).
- Period: 1-31 May 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.