04/01/2026

Suburban Chicago Woman Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Multiple Victims out of $3.5 Million

United States Attorney's Office Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a woman on fraud charges for allegedly swindling multiple victims out of at least $3.5 million by falsely claiming their money would be used to support immigration services, projects in Ukraine, and other supposed needs.

TATIANA BAZER falsely represented to victims that their money would be used in various ways, including, among things, projects in Ukraine, immigration services, or as loans to Bazer to help resolve her purported arrest for shoplifting, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Some of the victims entrusted Bazer with hundreds of thousands of dollars, the indictment states.  Bazer spent much of the victims’ money in a manner other than what she had represented, including for her own personal use, the indictment states.  Bazer concealed the fraud by sending the victims false records, including bogus wire transfer receipts and fraudulent checks, the indictment states.

Furthermore, after learning that federal law enforcement was investigating her fraud scheme, Bazer pretended to be FBI agents, a prosecutor, and a criminal defense attorney to lull victims into believing that her case would be resolved and that victims would receive their money back, the indictment states.