Emergency Help Needed: Teacher Stranded After Job Scam Devastation

Two years ago, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life - I packed up everything I owned, yet again and moved across the world by myself to teach English to young children in China. It was terrifying but exhilarating. I built an entire life there on my own, adopted a beautiful cat, formed strong friendships, reconnected with past interests, created meaningful connections with my students and learnt to navigate a foreign world, all over again post pandemic.

When Everything Fell Apart

When my teaching contract was coming to an end, despite loving my coworkers and my students, I was ready for a change of environment so I began searching for a new position to continue building my teaching career in China. That's when my life flipped upside down and turned into a complete harrowing nightmare. What appeared to be a legitimate job opportunity, with an official school website and multiple branches across China turned out to be an elaborate and devastating scam.

The scammers not only took my money - a little over 30,000 CNY (approximately $4,100 USD) over the course of 4 months; which was everything I had saved, but also destroyed everything I built for myself. Worse still, when I desperately sought help from the proper authorities to resolve this financial and immigration crisis, I found myself navigating a complex situation with extremely limited support. Despite reaching out to multiple official authorities, the assistance available was insufficient to address the urgency of my circumstances, leaving me stranded, helpless and illegal in a foreign country with a rapidly closing window to resolve a situation that was entirely beyond my control.

The Devastating Consequences

Without a valid work visa and residence permit, I suddenly found myself in China illegally. The consequences were swift and brutal:

• I was facing the threat of deportation
• I was forced to pay heavy fines which I could not afford (thankfully my friends in China helped raise the funds for this) 
• I had to abandon most of my belongings and flee the country immediately (thankfully my family gathered funds to help get me first to Hong Kong and then onward to the United Kingdom)
• My infringement of the law is now on my record in China (I technically get 3 strikes), threatening my future career prospects in education

Thanks to a few incredible friends who refused to abandon me, I was able to pay the fine, find a temporary foster parent for my cat, store my belongings, escape China and reach safely to my family in the United Kingdom. But this was only the beginning of my struggles.

Current Crisis: Racing Against Time

I'm currently in the UK on an ETA which permits me to stay until the end of August. This ETA does not allow me to work, which means I cannot earn money to support myself or pay for my journey home. Every day that passes brings me closer to another potential deportation - and I simply cannot afford for that happen.

Here's what makes this situation truly terrifying: a second possible deportation would likely destroy my career in education forever. Schools and institutions around the world conduct thorough background checks, and an infringement of the law or a possible deportation would make me virtually unemployable in my chosen field. Despite being a victim of circumstance. 

How Your Support Can Save My Future

I'm desperately raising funds to cover:

• Flight costs to return to home safely
• Shipping costs for the personal belongings I had to abandon in China
• Emergency living expenses while I wait for travel arrangements
• Basic necessities while staying with family in the UK
• Legal and administrative costs related to this crisis

This isn't just about getting home - it's about salvaging my career and my future. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings me closer to avoiding a second possible deportation that could haunt me for the rest of my professional life.

Please Help Me Rebuild

I never imagined that my brave decision to teach abroad would lead to this disastrous nightmare. What started as an adventure in education and self-discovery has become a fight for my professional survival. The scammers didn't just steal my money - they've put my entire future at risk.

Your generosity can help me get home safely, recover my abandoned belongings, get my precious fur baby home and most importantly, avoid a deportation that would end my teaching career before it truly begins.

Time is running out. Please help me turn this devastating chapter into a story of survival and recovery.

Every dollar donated goes directly toward travel expenses, shipping costs, and emergency living expenses to help me return home safely and rebuild my life from scratch.