The Wildest Insurance Scam of the Year Just Got Busted

California has had its fair share of bears rummaging through trash, breaking into homes, and even taking leisurely dips in backyard pools. But recently, four Los Angeles residents took things to a whole new level. Their alleged plan? Use a bear costume to stage luxury car break-ins and cash in on insurance claims. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.

A Rolls-Royce, 2 Mercedes, and 1 Bear Suit

The suspects - Ruben Tamrazian, 26; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39 - allegedly submitted claims to three different insurance companies, totaling a jaw-dropping $141,839 in damages, NPR reports. Their story? A bear had snuck into their cars - specifically, a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350 - leaving behind claw marks on the seats and doors.

They even provided “evidence”: video footage from Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains, where black bears are known to roam. The footage showed a furry figure crawling inside the luxury vehicles, climbing over seats, and then slipping out - leaving a mess in its wake.

Unfortunately for the suspects, the insurance companies weren’t buying it. Instead of being spooked by the “bear,” they got suspicious.

When the Experts Get Involved

One sharp-eyed insurance investigator suspected something was off about the Rolls-Royce footage. According to the Associated Press, the California Department of Insurance launched what they reportedly dubbed “Operation Bear Claw” - because even fraud investigations deserve fun names.

Authorities took the videos to a biologist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who confirmed, as reported by NPR, what the investigators had already begun to suspect: “It was clearly a human in a bear suit.”

Oops.

The Claw-ful Truth

Detectives dug deeper and found two additional claims filed for the same date and location but involving different cars. And wouldn’t you know it? The footage showed the same suspiciously agile “bear” breaking into those cars, too.

That’s when law enforcement decided to pay the suspects a visit. During a search of their home, detectives uncovered the pièce de résistance of this whole scheme: a life-sized bear costume, complete with a faux-snouted head, plush paws, and even metal claw-like tools.

A Bear Market Crash

The alleged scammers now face charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy. Their case has been referred to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, where prosecutors will decide how to proceed.

Meanwhile, the real bears of California are just out there, minding their business - probably shaking their heads (if they could) at this whole debacle.

References: They told insurers a bear damaged their car. But it was actually a person in a costume | Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume