"Bear Destroyed My Rolls-Royce"... US Car Owners Who Claimed $200,000 Insurance Caught in Staged Fraud

"Operation Bear Claw" Fraud Ring Arrested
"Even the Most Outlandish Schemes Must Be Thoroughly Investigated"

A group in California, United States, who disguised themselves as a bear to deliberately damage luxury vehicles and fraudulently claim large insurance payouts, have been sentenced to prison.

According to Sky News and other UK media outlets on the 19th (local time), the California Department of Insurance announced that it had arrested four Los Angeles (LA) residents for insurance fraud under the so-called "Operation Bear Claw." Of these, three have been convicted.

Bear costume found at suspect's house. California Department of Insurance

In January 2024, the suspects submitted CCTV footage to insurance companies, claiming that a bear had broken into and damaged a Rolls-Royce parked near the San Bernardino Mountains. The video showed a bear-like figure rampaging and scratching the car seats. Using the same method, they filed additional insurance claims for two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, ultimately collecting a total of $142,000 (approximately KRW 209.6 million) from three insurance companies.

However, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, commissioned by the Department of Insurance, reviewed the footage and stated, "It is clear that the movement in the video is not a bear, but a person in a bear costume." When investigators searched the suspects' homes, they found a bear costume with metal claws used in the crime, which exposed the scheme. Further investigation revealed that the group had staged scenes of attacking the inside of vehicles while dressed in the bear costume to deceive insurance companies.

The court sentenced Arfiya Zuckerman (39), Ruben Tamrazian (26), and Vahe Muradkanian (32), who pleaded guilty to insurance fraud, to 180 days in prison and probation, respectively. In addition, two of them were ordered to pay restitution of more than $52,000 (approximately KRW 76.73 million) each. One remaining accomplice is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing in September.

Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner, stressed, "No matter how outlandish the scheme, we will investigate thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice," adding, "Insurance fraud is a serious crime that imposes a heavy financial burden on consumers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.