Insurance fraud in California Men in bear costumes demolish luxury cars

Four people have been arrested in California on suspicion of insurance fraud. They are said to have damaged their own luxury cars dressed as bears in order to collect compensation money.

Four people were arrested in California after they were suspected of disguising themselves as bears to commit insurance fraud. The suspects allegedly damaged their own luxury cars in order to receive compensation. The California Department of Insurance reported that a Rolls Royce Ghost, worth several hundred thousand dollars, was affected. The owners claimed a bear entered the vehicle while it was parked in Lake Arrowhead, a mountain town near Los Angeles.

The suspects submitted photos and surveillance video that allegedly showed the animal in the car. However, upon closer examination of the footage, it turned out to be a person in a bear costume. This led to the insurance company calling in investigators.

Biologist confirms suspicion that perpetrators are not bears

The investigators searched the archives and discovered two other similar cases at other insurance companies, in which damage caused by bears in the same places on other vehicles was also reported. Videos of the alleged bear were also submitted here. A biologist called in confirmed the suspicion that it was a human in costume.

After searching the suspects' home, the investigators found the bear costume used in the fraud cases. The four suspects, ranging in age from 26 to 39, were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.

Bear attacks on cars in California nothing new

Black bears are native to California and occasionally enter vehicles in search of food and cause significant damage. This fact could make the scam seem more plausible, which the suspects may have taken advantage of.

SDA