It was billed as a series of wild bear attacks on luxury cars in the mountains. Prosecutors say it was really a guy in a costume shredding upholstery for cash.
Three Southern California residents were sentenced Thursday after state investigators said they pulled off a strange insurance fraud scheme that used a person in a bear suit to fake damage to high-end vehicles. The supposed attacks were reported in the Lake Arrowhead area, with claimants submitting photos and video they claimed showed black bears clawing door panels and tearing up interiors. Investigators say the setup brought in six figures before the story started to fall apart.
Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, along with Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, pleaded no contest and were sentenced to 180 days in jail, to be served through a weekend program, plus two years of supervised probation. Zuckerman and Tamrazian were ordered to pay more than $50,000 in restitution, while Muradkhanyan’s restitution is still being determined. A fourth defendant, Ararat Chirkinian, is due back in court in September, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The ruse began to unravel when an insurance company took a closer look at a grainy surveillance clip that supposedly showed a bear inside a 2010 Rolls-Royce. Detectives later discovered similar claims tied to the same date and location, which helped launch a wider probe that investigators nicknamed “Operation Bear Claw.” All four suspects were arrested in November 2024, according to the AP.
How Investigators Say the Scam Worked
Investigators say the staged “bear” footage and photos were full of tells, from extra sets of claw marks to movements that did not line up with how real bears usually behave. A biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the material and told detectives the animal on camera was “clearly a human in a bear suit.” When authorities searched one location, they recovered a bear costume along with meat-shredding claws, according to the California Department of Insurance.
Sentences and Restitution
Officials say insurers paid out about $141,839 on three related claims before the fraud came to light. The California Department of Insurance ultimately referred the case to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Prosecutors have described the sentences as part of a broader push to hold the defendants accountable while restitution totals and remaining penalties are finalized, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Why Insurers Flagged the Claim
Industry fraud teams say this case is a prime example of how close review of video, plus expert input, can expose even unusually theatrical scams. The National Insurance Crime Bureau noted that it helped publicize the arrests and often works with state agencies to coordinate investigative resources, according to the NICB.
With one defendant still awaiting a September hearing, state officials say insurance fraud remains a top enforcement priority. They are urging anyone who suspects fraudulent activity to call the fraud hotline listed on the Department of Insurance website. The agency said the outcome of this case should serve as a warning and stressed that vigilance is essential to stopping copycat schemes, according to the California Department of Insurance.
