A group of Los Angeles County residents has been arrested after allegedly staging bear attacks to defraud their car insurance providers. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Bear Claw,” uncovered that the suspects submitted fraudulent insurance claims, claiming their vehicles were damaged by a bear in the San Bernardino County mountain community of Lake Arrowhead.
According to the California Department of Insurance (CDI), the suspects—identified as Ruben Tamrazian (26), Ararat Chirkinian (39), Vahe Muradkhanyan (32), and Alfiya Zuckerman (39)—filed similar claims for damages to the interior of their luxury vehicles after a bear was supposedly caught on video wreaking havoc inside their cars. The vehicles involved in the scam were a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350.
The scam came to light after an insurance company raised suspicions over multiple claims submitted for the same location on January 28, 2024. The claimants provided video footage that appeared to show a bear entering and damaging the interior of their vehicles. However, upon closer examination, investigators discovered the footage was a hoax: the “bear” was actually a person wearing a bear costume.
To confirm their findings, investigators enlisted the help of a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The expert reviewed the footage and confirmed that the “bear” in the video was, in fact, a human in a costume. Investigators also noted superficial scratch marks inside the cars, which aligned with the staged attack narrative.
The fraudulent claims defrauded insurance companies of approximately $141,839. The four suspects were arrested with the help of Glendale Police and the California Highway Patrol, and each faces charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy.
The fraudulent scheme targeted high-end luxury cars, with the suspects aiming to collect significant insurance payouts for damages that never occurred. The case is a stark reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in order to deceive insurers and make illicit profits.