An the United States, four people tried to defraud insurance companies by claiming that a bear had vandalized their luxury cars. In reality, it was a human dressed in a bear costume.
The suspects had sought compensation for damage to a Rolls Royce Ghost, a luxury vehicle worth several hundred thousand dollars. They said a bear slipped into the vehicle in Lake Arrowhead, a mountainous area near Los Angeles. The alleged predator is said to have torn the seats and damaged the doors. They even provided surveillance footage showing the “bear” in full fury.
However, an insurance company questioned these claims and conducted an investigation that revealed the bear’s deception. “Upon further review of the video, investigation determined that the bear was in fact a person dressed as a bear,” said the California Department of Insurance (CDI), which is responsible for to regulate the insurance sector.
Investigators discovered that the suspects had already claimed damages for two other cars: luxury Mercedes. For these two cars, they provided video footage again showing a man in a bear costume.
To dispel any doubt, the CDI asked a biologist from the Department of Wildlife to examine the footage. He, too, determined that it was “clearly a human being in a bear costume.” A search of the house revealed the disguise used.
All four people were charged with insurance fraud. They had requested more than $140,000 in damages.
Their demands did not seem far-fetched. In California, grizzly bears sometimes show up in unexpected places and wreak havoc.
