A young student who has been in Australia for just five months says she is too afraid to return to her Melbourne apartment after a brazen and violent attack by a man in one of the building's hallways.

Key points: A woman was followed by a man before almost being abducted in a Southbank apartment building

A woman was followed by a man before almost being abducted in a Southbank apartment building A man caught on CCTV who is aged in his 20s with a thin build, brown eyes, dark eyebrows is wanted by police

A man caught on CCTV who is aged in his 20s with a thin build, brown eyes, dark eyebrows is wanted by police Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers

A man followed 23-year-old Sarah, who did not want her real name used, for three blocks to her apartment building in Kavanagh Street, Southbank, just after 2:00am on Saturday.

Detective Acting Sergeant Michael Tobin said the man began following Sarah when she reached Freshwater Place in Southbank.

CCTV footage showed the man deliberately put his hood up in lit areas and tried to avoid cameras, he added.

Sarah entered her building via the carpark and the man followed her in. She was unaware of the man until he got into the lift with her.

"I used my pass [in the lift] for my level. He didn't press any button and didn't even look at the button panel," Sarah said.

Anyone who recognises the man from the CCTV footage should contact Crime Stoppers. ( Supplied: Victoria Police )

When the lift stopped at her level the man waited until Sarah left, then followed her out.

She asked him if he needed something and he asked her if she was "Clarissa" and if she was from Norway.

When Sarah said no, and walked towards her apartment, the man ran up behind her and grabbed her from behind.

He then covered her mouth and nose, and tried to drag her backwards.

The man is in his 20s with a thin build, brown eyes, dark eyebrows and was clean-shaven. ( Supplied: Victoria Police )

Sarah said she managed to grab the door handle and fall into the apartment. She screamed and after her housemate appeared, the man ran off.

The man is described as being aged in his 20s, clean shaven with a thin build, brown eyes and dark eyebrows.

He was wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, black runners with white edges and a black cap with a white logo.

'Serious', 'brazen' attack: police

Acting Sergeant Tobin said police were not sure where the man came from before reaching Southbank, or where he ended up after leaving the apartment building.

"This is extremely serious. The brazenness of him, he followed her up to her apartment door, it's terrifying for her," Acting Sergeant Tobin said.

"It was calculated. There were times when he put his hood up when he was in the light or near cameras."

Anyone with dashcam footage, CCTV footage or videos from the area between 1:00am and 3:00am on Saturday, January 18, should contact Crime Stoppers.

'I used to be a very strong woman'

Sarah, who is an international student from Colombia, fought back tears as she described how she "used to be a very strong woman" but was now too afraid to return to her apartment.

She feared the man would have sexually assaulted her if her housemate had not been home.

She went to work the next day because she could not afford to take a day off.

Colombian woman Sarah said she is no longer the strong woman she used to be after almost being abducted outside her apartment door on Saturday morning. ( ABC News )

It was not the first time a man had tried to overpower her.

She said when she first arrived in Australia, she went on a date with a man and was excited to meet him so she could practice her English.

But when she began to leave the date and go home, he grabbed her arm and tried to make her stay, and then forced her to kiss him.

"I just want to be safe again, and strong and independent like I used to be," Sarah said.

"I have my dreams here. I'm here because I really want to improve everything about myself, but I don't know what to do now.

"I pretend that this is a bad dream."