Court records or official statements from the California Department of Insurance

Four Arrested in California for Using Bear Costume in $140,000 Luxury Car Insurance Fraud

Nov 14, 2024, 04:00 AM

Four Los Angeles-area residents were arrested on Wednesday after allegedly staging bear attacks on luxury vehicles to defraud insurance companies of more than $140,000. According to the California Department of Insurance, the suspects used a bear costume to scratch the interiors of cars, including a Rolls-Royce Ghost, Mercedes G63 AMG, and Mercedes E350, in Lake Arrowhead. They filed three insurance claims alleging that bears had caused the damage. An investigation, dubbed Operation Bear Claw, revealed that the supposed bear attacks were actually carried out by a person in a bear costume, caught on video evidence. The suspects have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.