Four Los Angeles residents were arrested for an insurance fraud scheme after they claimed a bear damaged their vehicles — but video showed it was a person in a bear costume.The California Department of Insurance said the four men claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost and damaged the interior while at Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28. They provided surveillance footage to their insurance company as proof.But the video proved their story false.”Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the Department of Insurance said in a news release.The suspects also allegedly filed two additional insurance claims with two different insurance companies for the same date and location, but for two different vehicles. All three claims included video footage that appeared to show a person in a bear costume enter a vehicle to damage it, officials said.The Department of Insurance said to further ensure it was not a bear, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the videos. The biologist was also of the opinion that it was a person in a bear suit.Authorities executed a search warrant and also found a bear costume in the suspects’ home.Officials said the insurance companies were defrauded of $141,839 because of the alleged fraud.All four suspects, identified as 26-year-old Ruben Tamrazian, 39-year-old Ararat Chirkinian, 32-year-old Vahe Muradkhanyan and 39-year-old Alfiya Zuckerman, were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.
Four Los Angeles residents were arrested for an insurance fraud scheme after they claimed a bear damaged their vehicles — but video showed it was a person in a bear costume.
The California Department of Insurance said the four men claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost and damaged the interior while at Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28. They provided surveillance footage to their insurance company as proof.
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But the video proved their story false.
“Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the Department of Insurance said in a news release.
The suspects also allegedly filed two additional insurance claims with two different insurance companies for the same date and location, but for two different vehicles.
All three claims included video footage that appeared to show a person in a bear costume enter a vehicle to damage it, officials said.
The Department of Insurance said to further ensure it was not a bear, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the videos. The biologist was also of the opinion that it was a person in a bear suit.
Authorities executed a search warrant and also found a bear costume in the suspects’ home.
Officials said the insurance companies were defrauded of $141,839 because of the alleged fraud.
All four suspects, identified as 26-year-old Ruben Tamrazian, 39-year-old Ararat Chirkinian, 32-year-old Vahe Muradkhanyan and 39-year-old Alfiya Zuckerman, were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.
