'Fake Bear' Attack Leads to Jail Time — Three California Residents Sentenced After Being Convicted of Insurance Fraud Scheme Using Animal Costume
Three men tried to commit insurance fraud with a bear costume.
April 21 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Three men in Los Angeles have been sent to jail after attempting an absurd insurance scheme involving bear attacks on luxury vehicles, RadarOnline.com can report.
The only problem was that the "bear" was just a guy in a costume, a ruse police quickly saw through.
The Bear Necessities
The men used a person in a bear costume to destroy their pricey vehicles.
The men were arrested following a California Department of Insurance investigation dubbed "Operation Bear Claw." Officials said the trio used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks on the high-end vehicles, then submitted fraudulent claims seeking payouts from insurance companies.
The department’s investigation began after the insurance company suspected fraud. The suspects claimed a bear entered their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and caused damage to the inside.
They even provided video footage to their insurance company, which showed the alleged bear in the vehicle.
But it turned out the investigators were smarter than the average bear, and saw right through their plot and the phony video, quickly realizing the vicious animal was really just a person in a 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.
Crazy Caper Confirmation
The man used a meat claw to scratch up the Rolls-Royce
Just to prove their point, a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the footage and also concluded the animal was clearly a human in a bear suit.
"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."
Jail Sentences
All three were sentenced to 180 days in jail.
Detectives later executed a search warrant and recovered the costume from the suspects' home. Officials estimated the total loss to the insurance companies was $141,839.
The suspects, identified as Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, all pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud.
Each was sentenced to 180 days in jail, to be served through a weekend jail program, and they were placed on two years of supervised probation.
A fourth suspect, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, is scheduled to appear in court in September 2026 for a preliminary hearing.
'Good Plan, Yogi'
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Experts could tell the bear was fake.
Investigators weren't the only ones grinning and bearing it at the failed scheme. Reddit users also shared their opinions.
"Surely there’s more believable ways to commit insurance fraud, what a bunch of bozos," one person scoffed, as another snarked, "Great. Now I need to figure out a new insurance scheme for my 3 luxury cars. This is why we can’t have nice things."
A third person pondered, "Why even submit a video of the 'bear' in the car?? That’s so unnecessary."
While one person blasted: "Why even do this? Yer wrecking a RR Ghost's interior? Then what? F--king idiot. Good plan, Yogi."
