Four individuals were arrested on Wednesday and charged with insurance fraud after they falsely claimed that their luxury car was damaged by a bear, which turned out to be a person in a costume. The suspects had filed a claim in January, saying that a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost while it was parked at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino mountains, and caused damages to the interiors of the vehicle, the California Department of Insurance said, reported The Guardian. Watch video footage here: https://t.
co/HCeHhOp6q0 — CA Dept of Insurance (@CDInews) November 13, 2024 According to a BBC report, the footage submitted to insurers as evidence showed what appeared to be the animal climbing into the front seat of Rolls Royce, then clawing its way toward the back. However, the footage drew suspicion, among investigators from the insurance department, who upon executing a search warrant, discovered a bear costume in the suspect’s home. Four arrested after videos show fake bear attacks for insurance payouts.
Operation Bear Claw reveals suspects allegedly wore bear costume to commit insurance fraud. pic.twitter.
com/9mzfvaq2B3 — CA Dept of Insurance (@CDInews) November 13, 2024 Two further verified the figure if it was a real bear, and the insurance department took the footage to a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to review. The agency concluded that the “bear” in the video clearly was a person in a costume. The fuzzy night-time video .
