Western Australia Scam & Telecom Incident Report – December 2025

Overview of reported telecommunications incidents across Western Australia in December 2025. This report captures community-sourced reporting activity between 1–31 December 2025, analysing scam classification patterns, regional distribution, and emerging safety signals.

Executive Summary

This report analyses community-submitted telecommunications safety data across Western Australia between 1–31 December 2025. All classifications, trend observations, and regional patterns are derived from first-hand community intelligence aggregated through the Reverseau platform.

Western Australia recorded 294 community reports across 222 unique phone numbers during the reporting period. Compared to November 2025, reporting volume showed a notable decrease of 44%, while 222 numbers remained under active community monitoring throughout the month.

Scam remains the most frequently assigned community classification at 38% of categorised reports, with a scam classification ratio of 38% 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 Perth, followed by Marble Bar and Fremantle. Perth recorded more than double the reporting volume of the next most active locality (Marble Bar), indicating concentrated campaign activity or higher community engagement within this area.

December is dominated by holiday-themed scam campaigns, delivery fraud, and charitable donation scams. Reporting volumes may fluctuate as community engagement shifts during the holiday period.

Scam classifications account for 38% of reports, suggesting a mixed telecommunications activity landscape where non-scam reporting categories play a significant role in the overall safety picture. Residents are encouraged to report suspicious telecommunications activity and consult the WA data dashboard for real-time classification and trend data.

Why This Matters

The proportion of scam-classified reports at 38% indicates active but evolving targeting patterns across Western Australia. Understanding these patterns at a community level enables faster identification of emerging campaign types and reduces the window between first contact and community-wide awareness. Sustained reporting activity across multiple localities strengthens the collective intelligence foundation, allowing classification convergence to accelerate as more residents contribute first-hand safety data to the WA reporting ecosystem.

Community Reports
294
vs November 2025 -44%
Unique Numbers Reported
222
Scam Classification Ratio
38%
Active Numbers Monitored
222

Scam Category Breakdown

Community classification distribution across WA for the period 1–31 December 2025. Classifications are assigned by reporting users based on their direct experience with each number.

Scam38%
Suspicious22%
Spam19%
Uncertain17%
Legit3%

Scam accounted for 38% of categorised reports during December 2025. In November 2025, Scam held the top position with 36% 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 Western Australia

Localities with the highest concentration of community reports during 1–31 December 2025. Each locality links to its dedicated intelligence page with full classification breakdowns and number listings.

Perth recorded more than double the reporting volume of the next most active locality (Marble Bar), indicating concentrated campaign activity or higher community engagement within this area. For detailed locality-level analysis, visit the individual area pages linked above or explore the WA data dashboard.

Month-to-Month Comparison

Compared to November 2025, Western Australia experienced a notable decrease of 44% in community reporting volume. Overall activity has decreased, with substantial monitoring coverage across the state.

Seasonal Context

December is dominated by holiday-themed scam campaigns, delivery fraud, and charitable donation scams. Reporting volumes may fluctuate as community engagement shifts during the holiday period. The observed decrease of 44% may reflect seasonal reporting variation, reduced campaign activity, or shifts in community engagement patterns during this period.

Classification Movement

Scam classifications accounted for 38% of categorised reports in December, with scam-specific reports representing 38% 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.

Regional Variation

Perth maintained its position as the most active reporting locality even as overall volumes declined. This persistence suggests that reporting behaviour in metropolitan areas is more resilient to volume fluctuations than regional submissions.

Service Type Distribution

Local Service100%

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

10 numbers within WA accumulated multiple community reports within a compressed time window during 1–31 December 2025. 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.

Flagged numbers averaged 4 reports each, consistent with early-stage campaign detection where community awareness is still building.

Several flagged numbers exhibited cross-locality reporting dispersion, with community submissions originating from multiple areas within WA. This pattern suggests broadcast-style outbound activity rather than localised outreach, consistent with automated dialling campaigns that target numbers across geographic boundaries.

Divergent Classification Signals

Several numbers display mixed community classifications — receiving both scam and non-scam reports during December 2025. 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 08 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 Western Australia.
  • 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 December 2025. All data is aggregated and anonymised before publication.

  • Source: First-hand community reports submitted via Reverseau.
  • Scope: Numbers with a registered allocation within Western Australia (WA).
  • Period: 1–31 December 2025 (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 WA data dashboard.