Three Convicted in USA After “Bear Suit” Insurance Scam

This story from the California Insurance Commissioner’s Office is worthy of a SNL skit;

A bizarre insurance fraud scheme involving a bear costume, luxury vehicles, and falsified damage claims has now ended in convictions for three Los Angeles area residents following a California Department of Insurance investigation dubbed “Operation Bear Claw.”

The defendants used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks on high-end vehicles, then submitted fraudulent claims seeking payouts from insurance companies.

“What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that — and now those responsible are being held accountable,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “My Department’s investigators uncovered the facts, exposed this scam, and helped bring these defendants to justice. Insurance fraud is a serious crime that drives up costs for consumers, and no scheme is too outrageous for us to investigate.”

Sentencing outcomes include:

• Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud (injuring or destroying insured property). She was sentenced to 180 days in jail (to be served through a weekend jail program), two years of supervised probation, and ordered to pay $55,360 in restitution.
• Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud (injuring or destroying insured property). He was sentenced to 180 days in jail (weekend jail program), two years of supervised probation, and ordered to pay $52,268 in restitution.
• Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud (presenting a false insurance claim). He was sentenced to 180 days in jail (weekend jail program), two years of supervised probation, with restitution to be determined.
• Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, is scheduled to return to court September 2026 for a preliminary hearing.

The investigation began after an insurance company flagged a suspicious claim tied to a January 28, 2024, incident in Lake Arrowhead. The suspects claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost and caused interior damage, submitting video footage to support the claim.

Upon further review, Department detectives determined the “bear” in the video was a person wearing a bear costume. Investigators later uncovered two additional fraudulent claims submitted to separate insurance companies involving the same date and location, this time tied to a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

To further verify the deception, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the footage and concluded the animal shown was clearly a human in a bear suit. Detectives later executed a search warrant and recovered the costume from the suspects’ home.

The total loss to the insurance companies was $141,839.

Department detectives were assisted by the Glendale Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.