A mainland student from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) is suspected to have lost around HK$1.8 million in a phone scam, sources said on Tuesday.

It is understood the woman, 22, got a phone call last August from someone pretending to be from the SAR's Immigration Department.

The scammer told her she was involved in a case on the mainland and threatened to arrest her unless she opened an account at a designated bank.

The victim was asked to make six money transfers to the bank account to prove that she was innocent, sources have said.

Failing to contact the fraudster, she realised she had been scammed and reported the case to police.

In an email to students on Sunday, HKU said that more than 60 students have been scammed in recent months, resulting in a total loss of HK$60 million.