But when they arrived in Aug, they found out that the law barred them from working. They also found out that the course of study at the Stamford School of Commercial Studies, a certified CaseTrust school, was only a one-year diploma programme costing $5,300.

On top of this, their living conditions were cramped: All 13 of them were housed in a Rowell Road room by their Vietnamese agent from Study Abroad Consultancy and Construction, who has since become uncontactable.

Read Melissa Sim's full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.