A SOUTHAMPTON student was left “devastated” after falling victim to a heartless scam which cost her over £30,000.

Chen, a Master's student studying at the University of Southampton, was conned by telephone scammers impersonating the Chinese government.

In November 2021, defrauders got hold of her passport number and accused her of being involved in a money laundering scheme.

They ordered her to send money to the government to check her details.

However, the £31,000 was never returned, leaving the 26-year-old finance and economics student feeling “desperate”.

She is now juggling two part-time jobs but still needs to pay £15,000 in outstanding course fees.

Furthermore, her student visa runs out on January 30.

READ MORE: Five banking and payment scams to watch out for in 2023

Speaking to the Echo, Chen said: “I was very desperate at the time because no one could help me and my parents just wanted me to go home. 

“They tried to help but because they don’t have much money to help me with these things, they tried to sell their property, but the value was low last year.

“It affected me emotionally, made me really scared, so I had to get two part-time jobs.”

Chen felt alone during this time as she didn’t have many friends and could only count on support from members of the Chinese Association of Southampton which offered her work.

"I spent all of last year on my own, I didn't have people to rely on."

A fundraiser, with a £15,000 target, has now been launched to help cover her course fees.

So far, it has raised over £1,500.

In the fundraiser, a spokesperson for the Chinese Association of Southampton said: “Your donation, no matter how small, will make a significant impact in helping Ms Chen pay off her outstanding tuition fee.

"Together, we can help Ms Chen to achieve her dream."

The University of Southampton said it would not comment on specific cases.

A spokesman said: "We prioritise any case where a student has been the victim of an alleged scam or fraudulent, illegal activity.

"We provide specialist support for the individual affected, including for their long-term wellbeing, as we understand the serious impact this type of crime can have.

“In addition to direct support for victims, we work closely with the police to provide online advice to students about avoiding scams.

"We are working hard to find new ways of helping our students to identify if they are being targeted by a scam and what to do if this happens, as well as helping our staff to spot those at risk.”

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