In a bizarre attempt, a group of friends in California staged a fake attack, where one of them dressed as a bear to vandalize a Rolls-Royce and submit fake insurance claims.
According to a statement from the California Department of Insurance, the individuals filmed the act, with one of them in a bear costume damaging the vehicle. They then submitted the video to the insurance company to support their false claims.
However, their plan backfired, and they were arrested for insurance fraud and conspiracy. The accused include Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman.
According to a statement from the California Department of Insurance, the suspects claimed that a bear had entered their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, causing significant damage to the interior.
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
However, upon reviewing the video provided with their insurance claim, investigators discovered that the “bear” was a person dressed in a bear costume. They also found two additional insurance claims with other companies with the same date of loss and location but different vehicles.
“Each of those claims involved two different vehicles, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350, and the suspects again appeared to use a bear costume to make it appear that a bear also entered and damaged those vehicles,” the statement read.
