On April 16, three California residents were convicted for a bizarre insurance fraud scheme dubbed “Operation Bear Claw,” where defendants staged fake bear attacks on high-end cars to then submit fraudulent insurance claims for big payouts.
Californians have had to deal with a number of bear related break ins in the past. Yosemite National Park service says in 2015 there were 76 “human-bear” incidents, resulting in nearly $5,000 in property damage.
This bear was not looking for honey, instead it was on the hunt for nearly $150,000 in fraudulent insurance payouts.
But no, the Los Angeles area is not plagued with anthropomorphic bear people looking to commit grand theft auto, this is a completely different bear-related crime spree. This ursine caper was committed entirely by humans simply pretending to be a bear. So far three people have been convicted and sentenced in the scheme, with a fourth scheduled to return to court in September for a preliminary hearing.
In a press release, officials confirmed the minds behind the crime include Alfiya Zuckerman — sentenced to 180 days in jail, 2 years of supervised probation, and ordered to pay $55,360 in restitution; Ruben Tamrazian — sentenced to 180 days in jail, 2 years of supervised probation, and ordered to pay $52,268 in restitution; Vahe Muradkhanyan — sentenced to 180 days in jail, 2 years of supervised probation, and restitution to be determined), and Ararat Chirkinian (still waiting to be sentenced. All three people who have been charged were charged with and pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud. The person who wore the suit has not been officially revealed.
The investigation began in 2024, when an insurance company flagged a suspicious insurance claim tied to an incident in Lake Arrowhead. The people submitted what they assumed was irrefutable evidence of a bear climbing into their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost and destroying the interior. However, upon further review, investigators and wildlife experts determined it was “clearly a human in a bear suit.”
It was discovered later on that two other suspicious claims came from the same date and location, this time claiming the bear tore into a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and 2022 Mercedes E350.
Despite the serious demeanor of the insurance commissioner, the costume seemed less than practical. Investigators say the tools used to damage the interior of the cars included serrated meat claw shredders to mimic the claws of a bear. However a crucial detail that seems to have been lost on the schemers was the fact that their apparatus had six blades attached. Bears on the other hand, only have five claws on each paw.
Alas, their foolproof plan was fated to crumble from the very start.
“What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that, and now those responsible are being held accountable,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in a press release. “Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate.”
Over the course of their three years on the loose, they were able to rack up quite substantial damage, netting them a large profit for their efforts. They would’ve gotten away with it too if it weren’t for that pesky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
