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 185 reports across 128 distinct numbers in Victoria - a significant increase of 70% compared to December 2020.
The leading classification was Spam at 28%.
Most reports came from Melbourne, followed by Beaufort and Ballarat.
VIC's 24% scam rate sat 23 points below the national average of 47%.
Spam and Uncertain actually outpaced scam this month, making the overall classification mix broader than usual. The VIC data dashboard has up-to-date numbers and classifications.
Classification Breakdown
How people in VIC classified the numbers they reported this month.
Spam led at 28% in January 2021, compared to Scam at 29% the month before.
Top Reporting Areas
Areas in Victoria with the most reports this month.
Melbourne generated 107 reports - more than double Beaufort's 23. See the area pages above or the VIC data dashboard for full breakdowns.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to December 2020, Victoria saw a significant increase of 70% in report volume.
Seasonal Context
January saw a 70% 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
Spam made up 28% of classified reports in January, with scam at 24%.
Melbourne (107 reports) and Beaufort (23) remained the busiest areas despite the overall increase.
Trends & Observations
Several numbers collected reports in a short time frame and were quickly classified as scam by contributors.
Numbers Picking Up Reports Quickly
9 numbers in VIC 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 VIC, 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.
Previous Month's Flagged Numbers
Numbers that were trending in December 2020 - did they continue or go quiet?
Safety Tips
- Don't call back unknown 03 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 Victoria.
- 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 Victoria (VIC).
- 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 VIC data dashboard.