Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 23, 2025, a victim walked into the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) and filed a report regarding someone who had stolen money from her bank account.

The suspect was later identified as Nofo Te'o-Utu, who was charged with:

Counts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, & 45: Stealing, a class C felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2,4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, & 46: Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, a class D felony punishable by imprisonment for not to exceed five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the court affidavit, on July 23rd, at approximately 2:30 p.m., the victim walked into the FPS requesting assistance to identify the unknown person who had been withdrawing money using a debit card linked to her local bank account.

The victim explained that she went to the local bank to withdraw money, but was told by the bank teller that she only had $7.00 in her bank account. The victim told the bank teller that her Social Security check should already be in her account. However, the teller informed her that it shows on her statement that the money was withdrawn from an ATM using her bank card.

The victim mentioned that she told the teller she didn't own a debit card and didn't know how to use one. The teller provided the victim with her bank statement, covering the period from March 2025 to July 2025.

The victim, who was with her niece, requested that the teller put a stop to the debit card on the same day.

She provided her bank statements to the authorities, who interviewed her.

According to the bank statements provided by the victim, there were multiple ATM withdrawals from March to July 2025. The statement showed various charges from different stores and restaurants. It also showed that a loan was being paid from the victim's account, and checks that were returned charged the account more fees.

Moreover, the statements showed that money was deposited in the victim's account every two weeks from work. Every month, she also receives funds from Social Security, which are deposited into her local bank account.

On March 21, 2025, additional funds were deposited, and two ATM withdrawals of $500 were made on the same date.

On June 3, 2025, the victim received extra funding from the IRS, along with two withdrawals of $500 on the same date, and another withdrawal of $500 on July 5, 2025.

The victim was asked if she suspected anyone who would do something like this, and she verbally stated that a church member usually assists her at the bank.

The church member was later identified as Nofo Te’o-Utu (hereinafter referred to as the suspect).

On August 2, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the officers proceeded to locate the suspect in Tula, where she resides. Upon arrival at the suspect's home, the authorities were able to interview her. The officers informed the suspect regarding allegations that she took money from the victim without her consent.

The suspect was asked if she usually assisted the victim at the bank; she stated, "Yes."

She was asked if she had the debit card under the victim's name, and the suspect admitted that she did. She was then informed that the victim stated she did not own a debit card. However, the suspect claimed that it was she and the victim who went to the bank and got the debit card.

Furthermore, the suspect went on to explain that she usually helps the victim as if she was her own mother. She claimed that she would pick up the victim from her home and take her to cruise the island with her mother. Sometimes she and her mother would pick up the victim after work and go out to eat.

In addition, the suspect also noted that the victim was working on her visa application, and she had told her that money was needed. Another time, they went to McDonald's, and she told the victim to pay for their food; and, the victim agreed.

The suspect further claimed that for the past few weeks, she and the victim had been attempting to cancel the debit card. The suspect stated that all the money that she withdrew from the bank card was with the victim's consent.

The officers asked the suspect about one of the transactions involving a car rental, and she claimed that the victim had instructed her to withdraw the money to rent the car. The suspect was later asked to make a written statement, but she requested time to prepare her statement.

On Aug 2nd, the victim was interviewed again and asked if she was aware that a debit card was issued under her name and linked to her bank account. The victim insisted that she didn't know and went on to explain that she does not know how to use a card.

The victim further stated that she remembered one time, she went to the bank with the suspect, and she noticed her writing something on a paper. She asked the suspect what she was doing, and the suspect told her that she was trying to get her a bank card.

The victim stated that she went to the teller to withdraw money and, upon returning, the suspect was still talking to one of the bank employees. The victim claimed that she asked the bank employee if the card she had given to the suspect belonged to her, but the employee shook her head and told her no.

The victim was informed that the suspect claimed that she (the victim) knew about the money withdrawn from her account. The victim shook her head and explained that she never knew about any of the withdrawals. She was then asked about the car rental, and the victim verified that once the suspect had asked for money to pay for the rental.

She continued that she asked the suspect to take her to the bank to get the money, but the suspect told her that she had already gotten the money. The victim stated that she had asked the suspect where she had obtained the money, and the suspect told her it was from her bank account.

The officers then asked her if she had gone with the suspect to put a hold on the card, but the victim said no. The victim told officers that she went with her niece, not the suspect.

The victim was also asked if she owned a checkbook, and she verbally stated that she did not. She was asked if she had ever applied for a loan, and the victim said, "She did not."

She was also questioned about their lunch at McDonald's, and the victim explained that the suspect and her mother had picked her up, and they had gone to McDonald's. The suspect asked her what she wanted, but she told her she wasn't hungry. When asked if the suspect ever asked her to pay for their lunch, the victim replied, 'No.'

The victim also informed the officers that the suspect had told her that her passport had been sent to Samoa to a family member who was assisting her with her legal documents.

She also asked the officers if they could retrieve her passport and social security card from the suspect.

The investigation later revealed that the victim never personally made any ATM withdrawals from her account. It was the victim's practice to withdraw cash only during her bank visits. The victim also recalled that the suspect had multiple car rentals that she used over the past few months, but she only asked her once for money to help with the car rental.

The victim was later identified as a 77-year-old woman.

After the victim's interview, the officers proceeded to locate the suspect at her residence, but she was not home. Later, while patrolling in Faga'itua, the officers saw the suspect hopping out of a rental truck that was parked by her house in Tula earlier in the morning.

The officers approached the suspect and asked for the victim's documents, and she told the officers that the victim's passport had been sent to Samoa to apply for New Zealand citizenship. The suspect stated that she only has the victim's social security card and will drop it off later at the police station.

The officers inquired about the status of her written statement, and she informed them that she needed more time because she had to meet with her lawyer.

The investigation later revealed that, between several unauthorized ATM withdrawal transactions and a car rental transaction, approximately $6,820 had been spent or withdrawn from the victim's account between March 2025 and July 2025.

The defendant is identified as a 48-year-old U.S national.