California Residents Arrested for Staging Fake Bear Attacks in Insurance Fraud Scheme

Four Los Angeles residents have been arrested for attempting to defraud insurance companies by staging bear attacks on their vehicles, according to the California Department of Insurance (CDI).

Four Arrested for Faking Bear Attack in Insurance Fraud Scheme

Officials revealed Wednesday that the suspects had filed multiple claims, submitting footage that showed what they said was a bear damaging their luxury cars. In reality, investigators say, it was a person in a bear costume.

Suspicious Claims Spark Investigation

The case began with a claim filed on January 28, 2024, in which the owners of a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost alleged a bear had entered their vehicle while they were visiting Lake Arrowhead. They provided video evidence to support their claim. However, CDI investigators quickly grew suspicious of the footage, believing the "bear" looked more like a person in disguise than a wild animal.

Operation Bear Claw Uncovers Additional Fraud

This suspicion led to the launch of an investigation dubbed "Operation Bear Claw." As the CDI dug deeper, they found two additional claims from the same date and location involving a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350. Like the first case, these claims included video footage of an alleged bear causing damage. Investigators noted similarities between the videos, including what appeared to be the same bear costume in each one.

To confirm their theory, CDI investigators sought the opinion of a wildlife biologist from the California Department of Wildlife. After reviewing the footage, the biologist confirmed that the "bear" in all three videos was, in fact, a person wearing a costume.

Charges Filed and Evidence Recovered

The individuals arrested in connection with the fraudulent claims were identified as Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale; Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale; Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale; and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village. They have been charged with conspiracy and insurance fraud.

According to CDI officials, the insurance companies had already paid out a total of $141,839 before the fraud was uncovered. Following their investigation, authorities executed a search warrant at one of the suspects' residences, where they discovered the bear costume believed to have been used in the scheme.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case. A CDI spokesperson emphasized the importance of exposing such scams, noting that insurance fraud raises costs for everyone involved. The department credited