Purpose of This Document
This page defines the boundaries of the data published on Reverseau. Understanding these limitations is essential for interpreting the information correctly.
Reverseau aggregates publicly available allocation data and community-submitted reports for contextual awareness. It is designed as an informational resource - the platform does not conduct investigations, make legal determinations, or assess criminal liability.
Community-Reported Data Characteristics
All community report data on Reverseau has the following characteristics:
- Experience-based - reports reflect individual user experiences, which may be subjective, incomplete, or mistaken
- Not independently verified - moderation checks for guideline compliance, not factual accuracy of caller descriptions
- Volume-dependent reliability - classifications are more reliable for numbers with many consistent reports; a single report should be treated as one data point
- Community-scoped - data reflects the experiences of users who choose to submit reports, which may not represent all call recipients
What Reverseau Data Does Not Represent
Reverseau data does not represent any of the following:
- Caller identity - Reverseau does not identify who owns, operates, or uses a phone number. No ownership claims are made or implied.
- Confirmed misconduct - a community classification of "Scam" or "Spam" reflects reporter experience, not a confirmed finding of illegal activity
- Legal determination - classifications are not legal judgments and should not be treated as evidence in legal proceedings
- Regulatory findings - Reverseau is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by ACMA, the ACCC, or any law enforcement agency
- Current number holder - historical reports may reflect a previous holder of a number that has since been reallocated
Allocation Data Limitations
Telecommunications allocation data displayed on Reverseau reflects publicly available ACMA records. This data is subject to the following constraints:
- Allocation ≠ ownership
- Carrier allocation indicates which carrier was assigned a number range, not who currently holds or uses the number.
- Number portability
- Numbers can be ported between carriers, meaning the displayed carrier may not be the current serving carrier.
- Refresh lag
- Allocation data is refreshed periodically and may not reflect the most recent changes.
Number Reallocation
Carriers periodically reallocate phone numbers that have been disconnected or returned. When this happens, historical community reports on Reverseau remain visible but may no longer apply to the current user of the number. This is a known trade-off of keeping historical data in crowdsourced telecommunications datasets.
Affected parties can request correction or removal through the contact page. See Transparency & Data Integrity for the full dispute process.
Legitimate Numbers May Receive Incorrect Reports
Legitimate businesses, government agencies, and individuals may receive reports that misclassify their calls. Common scenarios include:
- The recipient did not recognise the caller and assumed the call was unwanted
- The caller's number was spoofed by a third party
- The number was previously used by a different entity
- The reporter misidentified the nature of the call
Mixed classifications - where a number has both positive and negative reports - are expected and do not indicate a system error. They reflect the inherent variability of community-reported data.
Interpretation Guidelines
When using Reverseau data, follow these steps:
- Treat a single report as one data point, not a definitive classification
- Review the full report distribution, not just the primary classification
- Check report recency - older reports may not reflect current activity
- Use allocation data for carrier context only, not caller identity
- For authoritative determinations, consult ACMA, the ACCC, law enforcement, or other appropriate regulatory authorities
External Resources
For official advice, contact the following organisations:
- Scamwatch (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) - report scams and check current alerts
- Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) - phone number regulation and complaints
- Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) - cybercrime reporting
- IDCARE - Australia and New Zealand's national identity and cyber support service (1800 595 160)
Related Documentation
- Reporting Signal Evaluation Framework - how classifications are determined
- Transparency & Data Integrity - corrections and dispute handling
- Number Classification System - allocation vs. ownership