An Israeli student was murdered in a late-night 'random attack' in Australia while she was speaking on FaceTime with her sister.

Aiia Maasarwe's partially naked body was found by window washers in scrub near Melbourne's Polaris shopping centre in the suburb of Bundoora at 7am on Wednesday.

Police would not confirm reports they were investigating a sexual assault but said detectives are scouring a list of known sex offenders as an 'active line of inquiry'.

They would not describe her injuries other than saying that the attack shortly after midnight was utterly brutal.

The 21-year-old student, who was reportedly five months into a year-long exchange programme at Melbourne's LaTrobe University, was riding a tram home from a comedy club to Bundoora before she was met by her attacker around midnight.

The last images of Miss Maasarwe, who police believe was at a club in North Melbourne earlier on Tuesday night and caught the 86 tram from a Bourke Street stop

She was talking on FaceTime with her sister, who was overseas and raised the alarm after something went awry mid-conversation.

'(Her sister) heard the sound of the phone falling to the ground and heard some voices,' Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

'This was an horrendous, horrific attack inflicted on a completely innocent young woman who was a visitor to our city,' he said. Stamper also said police believed it to be a 'random attack'.

Ms Maasarwe's body was found Wednesday morning by passers-by at 7am about 165 ft from the stop where she exited the tram. She was under a mile from her home.

Stamper said the report from her sister came in at about the same time.

Aiia Maasarwe's body was found outside a Melbourne shopping centre on Wednesday morning

Officers retrieved a black baseball cap and a grey t-shirt they believe were worn by the perpetrator from the crime scene, which they described as 'very distressing'.

The victim's family, who are on their way to Australia, described Ms Maasarwe as 'happy', 'adventurous' and 'smart'.

'I was in shock, I couldn't believe it... the day before my wife had said to me, "We'll have to go to Australia, Australia's very safe, very nice",' the victim's uncle Rame Maasarwe told national broadcaster ABC from the United States.

Aiia Maasarwe (left) was studying at a Melbourne university as part of a year-long exchange programme

Aiia Maasarwe, 21, had spent the night at a comedy club before boarding the 86 tram from Bourke Street, heading to her home in Bundoora. She left the tram around midnight. Her body was discovered in scrub, nearby, the next day

'We cannot believe that something like this happened in Australia, we think it's very safe there.'

Chilling footage released by homicide detectives show Ms Maasarwe on the phone in the final moments before the attack.

Police released the CCTV images, which show the clothing she was wearing that night, in the hope someone saw her and can help police track her exact movements.

Ms Maasarwe was at The Comic's Lounge in North Melbourne earlier on Tuesday night and caught the 86 tram from a Bourke Street stop. She likely got off the tram in Bundoora near where her body was found.

Investigators have also released images of a t-shirt and a cap that were located at the scene.

The t-shirt is described as being dark coloured on the shoulders and sleeves, then a light grey in the body. The baseball cap is black and has '1986' printed on the front.

Detective Inspector Stamper said information from the public is likely to prove crucial in this investigation.

'There will be someone out there who has seen a person wearing this clothing, and we really need them to come forward and provide us with that information,' he said.

Police have released images of a t-shirt and cap found at the scene, which they believe belongs to the killer

'If you have information about the identity of this person then I urge you to tell us.

'We have a grieving family who has had to fly halfway across the world under the most horrific circumstances and we want to be able to give them some answers.'

Forensic testing is being conducted on the clothing and police believe it is likely to have been left there by Ms Maasarwe's killer.

Anyone who recognises the clothing or has seen anyone wearing the items recently, particularly in the Bundoora area is being urged to contact the police.

Ms Maasarwe had been studying Chinese and English at Shanghai University, but has spent the past six months in Melbourne studying at La Trobe University

Her uncle Rame Masarwe said his family were shocked by her death as they believed Australia was safe

Police are also keen to speak to anyone who has located any unusual or out of place items near the crime scene over the past 48 hours.

Ms Maasarwe was walking home from a comedy show on Tuesday night, speaking with her sister on FaceTime, when the phone suddenly dropped, her uncle Rame Masarwe confirmed.

'She seemed very happy. Then the phone fell down, she heard voices. The phone was on.'

Aya's final moments: Tuesday night: Ms Maasarwe was at the The Comic's Lounge in north Melbourne 11pm: Her friends dropped her to the tram stop Ms Maasarwe caught the 86 tram from a Bourke Street stop, heading home Midnight: Ms Maasarwe got off the tram in Bundoora, under a mile from her home Wednesday: 7am: Her body is found in scrub near the tram stop and Polaris shopping centre Advertisement

He said her sister was still on the phone when she was attacked and heard the entire ordeal unfold.

Ms Maasarwe was carrying a bag when she was attacked and some items had been removed and were found nearby, police said.

Shoes and a mobile phone were found near her body, as well as an abandoned vehicle on Main Drive with its hazard lights on.

Ms Maasarwe's uncle said his brother had just arrived in Melbourne and remained in the dark about what had happened to his daughter.

'He's just arrived there now and knows nothing,' he said.

'We were told that she got murdered and it happened yesterday...that she was on the tram and that somebody attacked her. We've just been watching the news.'

The family are distraught, as they believed Australia was safe.

'(Her parents) are very angry of course. They are very mad,' Mr Maasarwe said. 'This is not America or Europe, you know.'

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper (pictured) said it was apparent the young woman had been assaulted

Ms Maasarwe had planned to stay in Melbourne for at least a year, he said. Her father was due to visit her next week, he added.

She had been studying Chinese and English at Shanghai University, but moved to Melbourne six months ago to study abroad at La Trobe University.

The murder has chilling similarities to the brutal killings of Eurydice Dixon and Jill Meagher, who were both raped and murdered while walking home in Melbourne suburbs.

Dixon was raped and killed on her way home from a comedy show in June last year. Her body was found on a soccer field in Princes Park in Carlton North.

CCTV is expected to become the main focus of the investigation as police work to piece together Ms Masarwe's final movements (pictured is the scene)

Jill Meagher, 29, was raped and killed by serial sex offender Adrian Ernest Bayley.

There will be increased police patrols and presence in the Bundoora area by police from the North West Metro Region, along with members of the Transit Safety Division and Operations Response Unit.

Acting Superintendent Tony Ryan from North West Metro said he understood the community was shocked and concerned following Miss Masarwe's death.

'I can assure the community that police will have an increased presence in the area over the coming days and we'll also be liaising with local residents and organisations,' he said.

'With deep sadness we confirm that the body of Aiia Maasarwe, an Israeli citizen, was found in Melbourne on Wednesday,' the Israeli Embassy said in a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia.

'We have complete faith in the Victorian Police and have no doubt that they will leave no stone unturned in the search to bring the perpetrator to justice.

'We express our heartfelt condolences to Aiia's family and stand ready to support them during this time as our Consul works to return her body home to Israel for burial.'

Police said they were 'confident' of finding the perpetrator.