Recently, three people in Los Angeles learned a tough lesson about insurance fraud. They staged a bizarre scheme where one of them dressed in a bear costume to claim that a “bear” damaged a luxury car.
In 2024, they submitted a claim for damages to a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, complete with a video showing the supposed bear “attacking” the car at Lake Arrowhead. However, it didn’t take long for investigators to realize that the bear was just a person in a costume.
California’s Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara, highlighted the absurdity of this scheme in a press release: “What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that – and now those responsible are being held accountable. Insurance fraud drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate.”
The video showed the costumed individual rummaging through the car in a way that was clearly staged. Investigators later found two more similar claims involving the same antics with different luxury cars. They called in a fish and wildlife biologist who confirmed, “It was clearly a human in a bear suit.”
During the investigation, detectives seized the bear costume from one suspect’s home. Alfiya Zuckerman, 39; Ruben Tamrazian, 26; and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, all pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to 180 days in jail. Zuckerman and Tamrazian were also ordered to repay over $52,000 in restitution.
Interestingly, a recent report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau shows that insurance fraud schemes are increasing. In 2022 alone, over 60,000 fraud cases were detected, representing a significant concern for consumers and the industry.
A fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, is expected to face court soon as the case continues. The situation serves as a reminder: staging outrageous scams can lead to serious consequences.
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