Person dressed in bear costume to fake attacks on cars for insurance payout, California officials say
Four people have been charged with insurance fraud for claiming that their cars were trashed by a bear — which was actually someone in a bear costume, officials said Wednesday.
Four people in Southern California were arrested and accused of insurance fraud after they claimed their cars were trashed by a bear — which was actually someone in a bear costume, officials said Wednesday.
The so-called bear was claimed to have entered and damaged a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost on Jan. 8 while it was parked at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains northeast of Los Angeles, the California Department of Insurance said.
Video was submitted to the insurance company that alleged to show the animal entering the car.
The suspects claimed a bear damaged several cars, but officials said it was actually a person in a bear suit. Courtesy CA Dept of Insurance via Flickr“Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the Insurance Department said in a statement.The group also submitted claims for damage to two other cars, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350, again with video and again with someone in a bear suit, it said.
Ruben Tamrazian, 26; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, all of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, were arrested on charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy, the department said.
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