'Consultant' vanishes after Asian students pay for uni study

By LOUISA CLEAVE

An immigration consultant has vanished with tens of thousands of dollars and passports belonging to Chinese students who paid to study at Auckland University.

The Auckland police company fraud squad is investigating 10 complaints from students, some of whom paid more than $20,000 for a place at the university.

Victims of the alleged money-for-study fraud were told by a consultant called Frankie that Li Feng Immigration could enrol them through an academic contact and they did not need language qualifications.

A university spokesman said non-English speaking students had to meet certain language standards, depending on the type of courses they wished to take.

He declined to discuss the police investigation.

Two students who spoke to the Herald this week said they paid between $20,000 and $30,000 to Li Feng Immigration because they desperately wanted to study for a commerce degree.

The students, 21 and 20, did not want to be identified because they have not told their parents in China.

They said they responded to an internet advertisement and met Frankie several times at the Li Feng office on level four of 99 Queen St.

He told them the company's owner was good friends with a professor at the university who would help to enrol them.

The 21-year-old said he paid almost $30,000 - including $18,900 for tuition fees and a $10,000 consultancy fee - in cash instalments.

The 20-year-old said she also handed over $18,900 and $5000 of a $6500 consultancy fee.

The students said they were given documents, including a receipt and a letter offering enrolment, which they thought were from the university.

The male student signed what he believed was a university agreement to be enrolled.

He said Frankie arranged a meeting at the university Clock Tower three weeks ago but failed to turn up.

"[Frankie] said we would go to see the professor and he will help us get our identification to enrol at university, and ... find some courses."

The 20-year-old student who spoke to the Herald was also there waiting.

The pair, who had never met before that day, tried to phone Frankie but there was no answer.

The next Monday, July 19, they found the Li Feng office empty and went to police. According to Companies Office records, Li Feng Immigration Company was set up in February by a man named Yu Dong.

Mr Dong was guarantor on a lease signed in March for the Queen St office but it is now closed and July's rent has not been paid.

The 21-year-old said police had recovered his passport but it had not yet been returned.

The 20-year-old student has approached the Chinese Consulate for new travel documents.

Both students said they would stay in New Zealand and were planning to enrol in other courses.

Police yesterday said they wanted to speak to a man called Weiye Sun.

A warrant for his arrest was issued on April 1 at the Napier District Court for failing to appear for trial on a charge of assault with a weapon.

A 22-year-old student was last week arrested in connection with the investigation. He will reappear in court next week.