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Four Arrested in California for Alleged Insurance Fraud Involving Staged Bear Attacks
A group of four individuals from Los Angeles County has been apprehended under suspicions of staging bear attacks to fraudulently claim insurance payouts. The scheme involved the use of a bear costume to imitate wildlife damages in vehicles, as reported by state investigators.
This investigation, labeled “Operation Bear Claw,” revealed that three of the defendants submitted remarkably similar insurance claims following purported incidents where a bear was said to have invaded their vehicles in Lake Arrowhead, a mountain community located in San Bernardino County. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) made the details of this case public through an official announcement.
The fraud unraveling began when one insurance company noted irregularities, triggering a deeper inquiry. Investigators found that multiple claims had been submitted from the same location on January 28, 2024, with the claimants providing video evidence that depicted a bear causing destruction inside their cars.
However, discrepancies in the footage prompted closer examination. The videos intended to demonstrate a bear adventuring within the passenger compartments were scrutinized, leading investigators to conclude that the creature was, in fact, a person donned in a bear suit. This conclusion was further corroborated by a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who assessed the footage and confirmed that it was “clearly a human in a bear suit.”
Evidence collected by insurance investigators indicated that the supposed bear attack resulted in superficial damage, such as scratch marks on the upholstery and door panels of the vehicles in question.
In total, the alleged fraudulent claims aimed to defraud insurance companies of around $141,839. The vehicles involved included an upscale 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350. The defendants were identified as Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, all residents of Glendale and Valley Village. Their arrests were conducted with assistance from the Glendale Police Department and the California Highway Patrol.
All four individuals face serious charges, including insurance fraud and conspiracy, which could result in significant legal repercussions as the investigation unfolds.
Source
www.cbsnews.com