Bear Attacks on Rolls-Royce, AMG G63 Actually Man in Bear Suit: Investigators

Four Los Angeles, California-area residents have been arrested for allegedly committing insurance fraud, after claiming that a bear had caused damage to their luxury vehicles. However, an insurance investigation into the claims made a startling discovery: the damage, according to investigators, was actually done by a human wearing a bear costume.

The California Department of Insurance opened an investigation called Operation Bear Claw after an insurance company reported suspected fraud in a case of automotive damage. The case that led the investigation to be opened seemed odd enough on its face: on January 28, 2024, the suspects claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and damaged the interior of the vehicle. The suspects had video surveillance of the bear attack, which they turned over to the insurance company.

However, once the case was in the hands of investigators, the Department of Insurance brought in a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to review the three bear videos, who was able to assist them in determining that, upon deeper review of the video, the investigators determined that the "bear" inside the Rolls-Royce was in fact a person wearing a bear costume and holding meat claws meant for shredding barbecue.

Further raising doubts about the claim was the fact that detectives found two additional insurance claims filed with two different insurance companies by the same suspects — with the same date of loss and at the same location — for a 2015 Mercedes-AMG G63 and a 2022 Mercedes-Benz E350. The video footage submitted with these claims also shows a person wearing a bear costume.

A search warrant was issued, and upon a search of the suspects' home, a bear costume and meat claws were found. 26-year-old Ruben Tamrazian, 39-year-old Ararat Chirkinian, 32-year-old Vahe Muradkhanyan and 39-year-old Alfiya Zuckerman have all been charged with conspiracy and defrauding insurance companies of $141,839.

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