- Scam
- Suspicious
- Spam
- Uncertain
Community reports for 03 9034 5217 (0390345217): Automated 'Tess' robocalls conducting fake surveys offering lottery prizes. Number goes out of service when called back.
Robocall Survey Scam Reports for 03 9034 5217
Fourteen contributors have reported calls from 03 9034 5217 (also written as 0390345217), with a clear pattern emerging around automated robocalls disguised as surveys. The most distinctive feature is an automated female voice introducing herself as "Tess" with an Australian accent, claiming to conduct quick surveys about mortgages, home loans, and cost of living while dangling lottery prizes worth $1,000 to $5,000.
Multiple contributors attempting to call back 0390345217 found the number out of service, a classic indicator of spoofed or disposable lines used in scam operations. The consistency of the "Tess" robocall across reports spanning from May 2025 back to October 2023 suggests this operation has been running for an extended period.
What Callers from 03 9034 5217 Ask For
The automated "Tess" robocall follows a scripted pattern designed to extract personal financial information. One detailed contributor noted the call asked progressively intrusive questions: current mortgage debt amount, age bracket (under or over 58), investment property ownership, accountant status, and whether tax returns exceeded $5,000. The survey culminates by requesting the recipient's full name.
Another contributor received a similar call about mortgages and home loans, with the automated caller claiming participation in a survey would enter them into a lottery draw. The robocall also masquerades as conducting cost-of-living research, but the actual questions focus heavily on income thresholds, household earnings over $100,000, and mortgage obligations - clear indicators of financial targeting rather than genuine research.
One report described a caller claiming to represent the "Australian Research Centre" before the same pattern emerged. When the contributor attempted verification by calling back the number associated with 03 9034 5217, they found it disconnected.
Robocall Characteristics and Timing
Contributors report 03 9034 5217 calls arrived during various times including early Sunday mornings and dinner hours, suggesting indiscriminate dialling rather than targeted outreach. The robocall uses a recorded female voice that pauses for responses but continues automatically regardless of input - one contributor reported simply coughing during pauses and the call proceeded normally, confirming the fully automated nature.
The robocall pattern shows persistence across multiple years. Reports span from October 2023 through December 2025, indicating 0390345217 or similar spoofed numbers continue cycling through the same survey script. Several contributors received multiple calls from this number, and when they attempted callback verification, the line was consistently out of service.
Five separate reports specifically mention the lottery prize offer component (ranging from $1,000 to $5,000), suggesting this is a core part of the social engineering tactic - encouraging participation in the survey through the promise of winnings that will "hopefully" be announced by a follow-up call.
What to Do If You Receive a Call from 03 9034 5217
If 03 9034 5217 calls you:
- Do not: Answer personal questions about mortgages, income, age, investments, or tax returns. Do not provide your name or any identifying information. Do not attempt to call the number back or engage with any follow-up calls.
- Do: Hang up immediately when you recognise the robocall pattern. Block 0390345217 in your phone settings. Let repeated calls go to voicemail. If the caller claims to represent a real organisation like the ATO or a bank, hang up and call that organisation directly using the official number from their website.
- Key warning: Legitimate surveys do not offer lottery prizes as incentives, do not call unsolicited about mortgages, and legitimate organisations do not become disconnected when you try to verify the call.
Why the Callback Trick Matters
Multiple contributors discovered that 03 9034 5217 shows "number not in service" when called back. This is a deliberate scam tactic - the number is spoofed or disposable, meaning the scammer is hiding their true identity. Never attempt to call back an unknown number that called you unsolicited. If you wish to verify a call, use official contact details from the organisation's website, never details provided by the caller.
How to Report 03 9034 5217
- Report to ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority): ACMA investigates unsolicited calls and can action robocall complaints. Visit acma.gov.au and use their complaint form to report 0390345217.
- Report to Scamwatch: Document the survey questions, robocall details, and the "Tess" automated caller information at scamwatch.gov.au. This helps track organised scam patterns.
- Register with Do Not Call Register: While registration won't stop all scammers, you can register at donotcall.gov.au to reduce unwanted telemarketing. Be aware that spoofed numbers like 03 9034 5217 often ignore this register.
- Block the number: Most Australian mobile phones allow you to block numbers directly in settings or through your telco's app. Blocking 0390345217 won't stop spoofed variations, but it prevents repeat calls from this exact number.
- Report on Reverseau: Share your experience with 03 9034 5217 to help other Australians recognise this scam pattern.
Help others by sharing your experience with (03) 9034 5217!
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What Our Users Reviewed
When you call back it says number not in service, classic scam move
Cold caller trying to pitch some scam, I blocked them
Called but didn't stick around long enough to say anything
annoying audio survey about finances and age, silly prize draw for 5 grand. classic scam
Called claiming to be Jess from Australian Research Centre, number was not in service when I called back
Automated call from female with Aussie accent called Tess, wanted to do a survey, said I'd go into a draw to win the lottery
Seriously! Early Sunday morning call from a girl called “Tess”
It was an automated call and “Tess” wanted to do a quick survey about mortgages / home loans.
The automated “Tess” claimed I had a chance of winning the lottery if I took part in the survey.
Automated Tess call wanting to do a quick survey, said I could win lottery if I did the survey
Automated caller - dinner time pest.
Recorded voice introduced herself as “Tess” (Aussie accent) and was doing a short survey on mortgages and I could be a lucky lottery winner of $1,000.
I coughed at every time “Tess” paused for my response which seemed to have been sufficient for her to go to next question.
Questions were as such:
How much do you owe on your mortgage?
Are you under or over 58?
Do you have an investment property?
Do you have an accountant?
If you have an accountant, did you get more than $5,000 return last financial year?
Is your household income over $100,000.
What is your name?
Then along the lines of “hopefully one of my colleagues will be calling you to inform you of winning the lottery - good luck”
I didn’t answer any questions with words, just listened to the call so as to share my experience here.
said they were doing cost of living survey but questions were about income and mortgages, felt like phishing
Tried to call back, number was out of service
No message left
Selling some product, very hard to understand, hung up
cold call trying to sell hot water systems, insistent and wouldn't respect hang up request
Help others by sharing your experience with (03) 9034 5217!
WRITE A REVIEWFrequently Asked Questions
Is 03 9034 5217 a real business number?
No. Multiple contributors found that 03 9034 5217 (0390345217) shows "number not in service" when called back, a strong indicator the number is spoofed or disposable. Legitimate businesses maintain working callback numbers. This out-of-service status is a deliberate scam tactic to hide the caller's true identity.
Why do robocalls from 03 9034 5217 ask about my mortgage and income?
The automated "Tess" robocall from 0390345217 is gathering financial targeting data. By collecting information about mortgage debt, household income thresholds, investment properties, and tax returns, scammers build profiles of financially vulnerable or asset-rich targets for follow-up investment, loan, or refinancing scams.
What should I do if I answered questions from the 03 9034 5217 robocall?
If you answered survey questions from 03 9034 5217 (0390345217), monitor your email and phone for follow-up contact claiming you've won a lottery or offering financial products. Do not engage with any follow-up. If callers ask for payment to claim a prize, this confirms the scam - legitimate prizes never require upfront fees. Report the follow-up contact to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.
Can I trust the 'Australian Research Centre' caller on 03 9034 5217?
No. One contributor reported a caller claiming to represent "Australian Research Centre" using 03 9034 5217 (0390345217), but when they called back to verify, the number was disconnected. Legitimate research organisations provide verifiable contact details and do not use spoofed numbers.
Why does the robocall keep calling at different times from 0390345217?
The automated "Tess" robocall from 03 9034 5217 uses indiscriminate dialling to reach as many targets as possible, hence calls at breakfast time, dinner hours, and early Sunday mornings. Scammers don't target specific individuals - they cast a wide net and convert whoever engages.
What happens if I don't call back 03 9034 5217?
That's the correct action. Multiple contributors who called back 0390345217 discovered the number was out of service or disconnected. By ignoring the call and blocking 03 9034 5217 in your phone, you avoid any scam follow-up. Never call back unsolicited numbers - if the caller represents a real organisation, find their official number independently.