Four people who allegedly dressed as bears and damaged their own luxury cars in a bid to defraud insurance companies were arrested in California.
An investigation into a suspicious insurance claim filed by four Los Angeles-area residents revealed a scheme where someone wore a bear costume and scratched up the inside of three cars, officials said.
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In California, four individuals were arrested for allegedly orchestrating an insurance fraud scheme involving luxury vehicles. The suspects reportedly dressed in bear costumes to simulate bear attacks on their cars, including a Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350, to file fraudulent insurance claims.
The incident came to light when a claim was made for damage to the interior of the Rolls-Royce, suggesting a bear had invaded the parked car near Lake Arrowhead. Accompanying evidence included photos and security camera footage purporting to show the bear inside the vehicle. However, suspicions were raised leading to an investigation by insurance fraud detectives.
Upon reviewing the video, it was determined that the “bear” was actually a person in a bear costume. Further investigation linked this incident to two other similar claims involving bear damage to vehicles at the same location. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the videos and confirmed that the figure was indeed a human in disguise.
A search warrant executed at the suspects’ residence led to the discovery of the bear costume, resulting in the arrests of Ruben Tamrazian, Aarat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman. They face charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy, with the total value of the fraudulent claims exceeding $140,000.
While black bears in California are known to occasionally enter vehicles looking for food, this incident highlights an unusual attempt to exploit such natural behaviors for fraudulent gain.