Title: Samoan Woman Sentenced for Financial Fraud against Relatives: Betrayed Trust and Stolen $224,602
By John Doe, Senior Reporter
Background
In the Whanganui District Court, Faith Fruean, a resident of Marton, was sentenced for financial fraud charges against two young Samoan relatives she had brought to New Zealand for work. Fruean’s schemes resulted in a total loss of over $224,602 for her victims.
The Cases
Tautai Solomona
The court heard that Fruean exploited the trust of the first victim, Tautai Solomona, by setting up a bank account and retaining his PIN and eftpos card without his consent. Simultaneously, she obtained a $20,000 loan in his name and made unauthorized transfers amounting to $34,812 to her account over two years.
Ransom Fruean
In 2016, Fruean established Ransom Fruean’s bank account under her control and made unauthorized credit card applications and loans, draining $43,988 from his account.
Attempts to Obtain More Funds
Fruean tried to get additional loans and credit cards using the victims’ identities. Although several applications were denied, she managed to obtain a credit card with a $2000 limit in 2017 using Ransom’s identity.
Ben Fruean’s Involvement
Ben Fruean, Faith’s husband, had acted complicit in the offenses by pretending to be the victims during phone calls to authorize loans.
Judge Marinovich’s Sentiment
Judge Marinovich expressed disappointment towards Fruean’s actions, emphasizing that she had not only financially benefited from the deceit but also led her extended family in Samoa to believe she was successful in New Zealand through the display of material possessions like cars, vacations, and monetary contributions.
Sentencing
At the sentencing, Fruean expressed remorse in her pre-sentence report but was criticized for trying to shift blame to Samoan cultural norms. Judge Marinovich adopted a starting point of 30 months’ imprisonment but granted discounts for her previous good character, remorse, and repayment of part of the stolen funds. Fruean received a 12-month sentence of home detention, which she will serve under electronic monitoring.
Reparations for the Victims
The victims will receive reparations totaling $30,000 – $20,000 for Solomona and $10,000 for Ransom. Payments of $50 per week will begin immediately. However, full reparation was not feasible as part of the sentence’s objective to deter Fruean from committing similar offenses in the future and allowing her to pay back the victims.