Executive Summary
This report analyses community-submitted telecommunications safety data across Australian Capital Territory between 1–31 March 2024. All classifications, trend observations, and regional patterns are derived from first-hand community intelligence aggregated through the Reverseau platform.
Australian Capital Territory recorded 119 community reports across 66 unique phone numbers during the reporting period. Compared to February 2024, reporting volume showed a moderate increase of 6%, while 66 numbers remained under active community monitoring throughout the month.
Scam remains the most frequently assigned community classification at 60% of categorised reports, with a scam classification ratio of 60% across all submissions. Scam maintained its position as the dominant classification in both periods, suggesting sustained targeting patterns rather than campaign rotation.
Geographically, reporting activity was concentrated in Canberra.
March often sees elevated activity as end-of-quarter financial scams emerge. Business impersonation and invoice fraud campaigns tend to peak during this period.
With scam classifications representing 60% of reports, the data indicates active but not overwhelming targeting levels within Australian Capital Territory. Residents are encouraged to report suspicious telecommunications activity and consult the ACT data dashboard for real-time classification and trend data.
Why This Matters
Sustained scam classification dominance at 60% across consecutive reporting periods suggests structural targeting patterns rather than isolated campaign surges. When a single classification category maintains this level of prevalence, it indicates persistent, organised activity that is unlikely to self-correct without sustained community awareness. Continued monitoring across Australian Capital Territory’s metropolitan and regional areas remains critical to early detection of coordinated telecommunications fraud and to building the community intelligence layer that enables faster classification convergence on emerging threats.
Scam Category Breakdown
Community classification distribution across ACT for the period 1–31 March 2024. Classifications are assigned by reporting users based on their direct experience with each number.
Scam accounted for 60% of categorised reports during March 2024. In February 2024, Scam held the top position with 46% of classifications. Scam maintained its position as the dominant classification in both periods, suggesting sustained targeting patterns rather than campaign rotation.
Most Affected Areas in Australian Capital Territory
Localities with the highest concentration of community reports during 1–31 March 2024. Each locality links to its dedicated intelligence page with full classification breakdowns and number listings.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to February 2024, Australian Capital Territory experienced a moderate increase of 6% in community reporting volume. Overall activity has increased, with moderate monitoring coverage across the state.
Seasonal Context
March often sees elevated activity as end-of-quarter financial scams emerge. Business impersonation and invoice fraud campaigns tend to peak during this period. The relatively stable reporting volume suggests consistent campaign activity and community engagement levels between the two periods.
Classification Movement
Scam classifications accounted for 60% of categorised reports in March, with scam-specific reports representing 60% of all submissions. These shifts in community classification patterns may reflect evolving campaign tactics, changes in the types of numbers being reported, or natural variation in reporting behaviour between periods. Monitoring classification movement over consecutive months provides a more reliable indicator of genuine trend shifts than any single-month comparison.
Service Type Distribution
Local Service numbers account for 100% of reported activity, reflecting the broader national pattern where mobile-originated calls dominate community safety reports. Residents should exercise particular caution with unsolicited calls from unfamiliar local service numbers.
Emerging Trends & Observations
Several numbers exhibited accelerated reporting velocity within compressed time windows, followed by classification convergence toward scam designation.
Rapid Accumulation Signals
6 numbers within ACT accumulated multiple community reports within a compressed time window during 1–31 March 2024. This velocity pattern is consistent with active call campaigns or coordinated targeting activity. Numbers exhibiting rapid report accumulation frequently transition from initial “Unknown” or “Suspicious” classifications to confirmed “Scam” designation within days.
Numbers flagged for rapid accumulation averaged 7 reports each during the period, indicating sustained community engagement with these numbers rather than isolated encounters.
Divergent Classification Signals
Several numbers display mixed community classifications — receiving both scam and non-scam reports during March 2024. This divergence may indicate numbers transitioning between legitimate and illegitimate use, caller ID spoofing of legitimate business numbers, or community uncertainty about the nature of calls received. Numbers with divergent classifications warrant continued monitoring as community consensus develops.
Community Safety Guidance
- Do not return missed calls from unknown 02 numbers without verification.
- Verify any government agency claims through official websites or published contact numbers — the ATO, Centrelink, and Medicare will never threaten immediate action via phone.
- Avoid clicking payment or delivery links received via SMS from unrecognised senders.
- Report suspicious telecommunications activity to help build community safety intelligence for Australian Capital Territory.
- Check numbers on Reverseau before returning calls from unknown sources.
Data Methodology
This report is compiled from community-submitted telecommunications safety reports for the period 1–31 March 2024. All data is aggregated and anonymised before publication.
- Source: First-hand community reports submitted via Reverseau.
- Scope: Numbers with a registered allocation within Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
- Period: 1–31 March 2024 (calendar month).
- Classifications: Assigned by reporting users based on their direct experience.
- Limitations: Data reflects community perception, not verified telecommunications records. Reporting volumes are influenced by platform adoption and user engagement patterns.
For detailed methodology, see our methodology page. For the full analytical dataset, visit the ACT data dashboard.