Phone numbers reported as suspicious by the Australian community, aggregated across all states and territories.
Suspicious calls show warning signs but don't have enough reports to confirm them as scam. Common patterns include silent calls, single-ring hang-ups, and callers making claims they can't back up. The ACMA considers these patterns potential indicators of fraud activity.
Many suspicious numbers eventually get reclassified once more people report them - either as confirmed scam or as spam if the intent turns out to be non-fraudulent. This makes the suspicious category useful as an early warning: these numbers often surface new campaign types before they scale up.
National Snapshot
Total Reports
106,936
Unique Numbers
82,146
Most Affected State
NSW
Top Prefix
48
Monthly Change
-19%
Last updated:
Suspicious Reports by State
How suspicious reports are spread across Australian states. Counts are absolute - population size varies significantly between states.
Risk levels are calculated from how many reports a number has and what people classified it as.
Common Patterns in Suspicious Activity
Suspicious numbers show warning signs that people can't easily verify. This often overlaps with what looks like number-testing activity before a larger campaign kicks off.
Silent calls - Calls under 3 seconds with no audio, used to check if a number is active
Single-ring hang-ups - One ring then disconnect, hoping you'll call back (potentially to a premium-rate line)
Unverifiable claims - Callers say they're from an organisation but can't provide a reference number or legit callback
Sequential dialling - Calls hitting a sequence of numbers in a block, suggesting automated testing
Geographically, suspicious calls follow a similar pattern to scam but are more spread out, as if testing wider number ranges before focusing a campaign.
What the Data Shows
106,936 community reports across 82,146 unique numbers form the basis of this dataset.
New South Wales contributes the most reports (40% of total). Population differences affect absolute counts - see state breakdown for context.
The 04 prefix dominates among top-reported numbers, followed by 02 and 03.
Monthly volume has decreased by 19% compared to the prior month.
Suspicious accounts for 14% of all community reports, making it a notable category on the platform.
For official guidance, refer to Scamwatch (ACCC) and ACMA. Reporting on Reverseau helps surface patterns faster for other Australians.
Monthly Trends
Reports decreased by 19% in March 2026 compared to the month before. 1,228 unique numbers were reported.
Peak month: July 2025 (2,240 reports)
1.6k
May
2.2k
Jun
2.2k
Jul
1.9k
Aug
1.7k
Sep
1.8k
Oct
1.7k
Nov
1.2k
Dec
1.6k
Jan
1.6k
Feb
1.3k
Mar
336
Apr
* Current month is incomplete - reports still pending review may not yet be reflected.
Category Comparison
Scam Spam Suspicious
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Most Reported Suspicious Numbers
By prefix: 04 (7), 02 (6), 03 (4) among the most reported.
What does a suspicious phone number classification mean?
It means community reports have flagged the number for things like silent calls, one-ring hang-ups, or unverifiable claims, but there aren’t enough reports yet to confirm it as a scam. Worth being cautious with.
Should I call back a suspicious number?
Generally no. Single-ring hang-ups may be designed to get you to call back a premium-rate number, or to confirm your number is active. If it was important, they’ll leave a voicemail or try again.
How does a number move from suspicious to scam classification?
As more people report the same number and describe similar fraudulent behaviour, the classification shifts toward scam. Each report adds to the picture.
Why do I get silent calls from unknown numbers?
Usually it’s automated systems checking which numbers are active before launching a targeted campaign. It can also happen when a call centre’s predictive dialler connects more calls than agents can handle. If you get repeated silent calls from the same number, reporting it helps.
All data on this page comes from community reports and reflects contributor experiences, not legal findings. Classifications follow Reverseau’s methodology, built on transparency and community consensus. For official advice, refer to the ACMA and Scamwatch (ACCC).
Data coverage: 2014-Present · Last reviewed: · Source: Community-submitted reports