Los Angeles Bear Costume Gang Nets $141K With Luxury Car Claw Scam

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Image & Source: npr

Bear costume insurance fraud hit Los Angeles, as Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman allegedly scored $141,839 faking bear attacks on a Rolls Royce Ghost and two Mercedes. Trending search queries like “Can bears really break into cars?” and “How do insurance companies detect fraud?” collide here, as detectives found a full snouted bear suit—plus claw-shaped metal tools—at their home. “Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” officials noted, blending wildlife with wardrobe.

After officials spotted suspicious paw work in the footage, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist confirmed the misbehaving mammal was “clearly a human in a bear suit.” The fraudsters submitted videos from Lake Arrowhead—where “Are there brown bears in California?” and “Can insurance companies deny animal damage claims?” are trending search queries—showing the furry imposter scaling back seats and scratching leather. Detectives then uncovered identical claims for both a Mercedes G63 AMG and E350, making “Operation Bear Claw” a wild ride of luxury, deception, and faux wildlife.

Detectives found not only the $141,839 insurance claim trail, but also a light brown bear suit, complete with metal claw tools, lurking in the suspects’ closet—leaving real black bears out of the luxury car drama.

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