Four California residents face charges for an audacious insurance fraud scheme involving luxury cars and a bear impersonator.
At a Glance
- Four individuals arrested for allegedly using a bear costume to damage luxury cars for insurance fraud
- Fraudulent claims involved high-end vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Ghost
- Suspects provided fabricated photos and security footage of “bear” damage
- Investigation revealed the “bear” was actually a person in costume
- Total fraudulent claims valued at over $140,000
The Staged Bear Attacks
In what is possibly the weirdest insurance fraud scheme we’ve ever heard of, four Los Angeles area residents have been arrested for allegedly staging “bear attacks” on luxury vehicles to collect insurance payouts. The suspects, identified as Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman, are accused of damaging their own high-end cars while dressed in bear costumes and then filing fraudulent insurance claims.
The audacious scheme came to light when the suspects filed a claim for alleged bear damage to a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost at Lake Arrowhead on January 28, 2024. They provided photos and security footage purportedly showing a bear inside the vehicle, causing extensive damage to its luxurious interior.
Four people in Southern California were arrested and accused of insurance fraud after claiming their cars were trashed by a bear — which was actually someone in a bear costume, officials say. https://t.co/OYDyZkCyVq
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 14, 2024
Insurance companies, suspecting foul play, contacted detectives to investigate the claims. As authorities delved deeper, they uncovered a pattern of similar fraudulent claims involving other luxury vehicles, including a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.
“Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the California Department of Insurance said.
To confirm their suspicions, investigators sought expert opinions. Biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were called in to review the footage, and their assessment was unequivocal.
“To further ensure it was not actually a bear in the video, the Department had a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife review the three alleged bear videos and they also opined it was clearly a human in a bear suit,” Wednesday’s statement from the California Department of Insurance revealed.
Armed with this information, authorities executed a search warrant at the suspects’ residence. In a damning discovery, they found the very bear costume used in the staged incidents. This crucial piece of evidence solidified the case against the accused fraudsters.
Four arrested after videos show fake bear attacks for insurance payouts.
Operation Bear Claw reveals suspects allegedly wore bear costume to commit insurance fraud. pic.twitter.com/9mzfvaq2B3
— CA Dept of Insurance (@CDInews) November 13, 2024
The brazen scheme ultimately unraveled due to the suspects’ overreach. While black bears in California are known to occasionally enter vehicles in search of food, causing real damage, the frequency and nature of these alleged “attacks” raised red flags for insurers and investigators alike.
The four suspects now face serious charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy. Their elaborate ruse, which sought to defraud insurance companies of $141,839, has instead landed them in legal hot water. This case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to commit insurance fraud and the sophisticated methods employed by authorities to combat such schemes.
As this case progresses through the legal system, it will undoubtedly serve as a cautionary tale for would-be fraudsters and a testament to the diligence of insurance investigators and law enforcement in protecting consumers from the costly impact of insurance fraud.
