Bear Suit Scam Nets Arrests in Fraud

Three Los Angeles-area residents were sentenced after California investigators said they used a bear suit to fake vehicle damage and collect insurance money. (apnews.com) The California Department of Insurance said the scheme centered on a January 28, 2024 claim from Lake Arrowhead, where a supposed bear was blamed for damage inside a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost. Investigators later tied that claim to two more on a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350. (insurance.ca.gov) Officials said insurers paid out $141,839 before the fraud case unraveled. The department said the group submitted video that was supposed to show a bear inside the cars, but a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist concluded it was “clearly a human in a bear suit.” (cbsnews.com) The case moved from a strange claim to a criminal prosecution because insurers referred the matter to state fraud investigators. The California Department of Insurance said detectives served a search warrant, found the bear costume, and named the investigation Operation Bear Claw. (nbclosangeles.com) California officials have pushed insurers and consumers to report suspected fraud because false claims can drive up costs across the market. The department’s public fraud reporting system says members of the public and licensed agents can submit suspected cases directly to investigators. (insurance.ca.gov) The four people originally charged in November 2024 were Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale; Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale; Alfiya Ershova, 39, of Valley Village; and Artavazd Muradkhanyan, 26, of Glendale, the department said. By April 2026, three had been sentenced and Chirkinian was scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing. (insurancejournal.com) AP reported that Vahe Muradkhanyan pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and received 180 days in county jail and two years of supervised probation. Ershova and Artavazd Muradkhanyan each pleaded no contest, received probation, and were ordered to pay restitution. (apnews.com) The case ended the way it began: with a video that was supposed to show a wild animal, and instead helped prosecutors argue it was a person in costume clawing luxury cars for cash. (usatoday.com)