Ever looking to take Halloween one step further? Well, it turns out you’re not alone. In a wild turn of events, four individuals from Los Angeles were recently busted for faking a bear attack on their luxury cars as part of an elaborate insurance fraud scheme.
The suspects, identified as Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan, and Alfiya Zuckerman, all in their early to late thirties, filed multiple insurance claims alleging that a wild bear had broken into and damaged their vehicles. Perhaps someone’s been watching a little too much Masha and the Bear! No worries, pals, we’ve all been there—though I’m not entirely sure that’s the takeaway the show was going for.
The vehicles in question are a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG, and a 2022 Mercedes E350. Because, honestly, who hasn’t looked at a Rolls-Royce and thought, “You know what this needs? A bear attack.”
To give their report some backing, they submitted video footage showing what appeared to be a bear clawing through the seats. Definitely, they had to have some serious skill because the police felt the need to bring in a wildlife biologist to review the footage. Guess it’s not every day you need a PhD to confirm, “Yeah, that’s a guy in a bear suit.”
This declaration was followed by a search of the suspect’s home, which revealed the costume itself, complete with a furry head, paws, and even claw-like tools designed to mimic a bear’s damage. Truthfully, at this point, the only thing missing was a honey pot and a Disney lawsuit.
The discovery was the final piece of evidence needed to expose the fraudulent claims. The scheme allergy defrauded the insurance companies upward of $141,839 through multiple false claims. With all the animal costumes out there, you’d think they’d switch it up a bit. Amazon’s clearly prepared for everything—why not throw in a lion or a raccoon? You know what? Why stop there? Let’s go aquatic—a dolphin, maybe? Nothing says “believable insurance claim” like a fish breaking into your Mercedes in the middle of California.
The case is being prosecuted by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, and the suspects are in danger of facing serious legal consequences. And so, the mystery of the highly imaginative bear attacks comes to an end. To sum it up: they started with a luxury car, spotted a completely insane opportunity, bought a bear costume, and —unsurprisingly— ended up with criminal charges.
It’s a case that’s equal parts ridiculous and entertaining, proving once again that truth really is stranger than fiction. Let this be a lesson to us all: if you’re ever tempted to commit fraud, maybe skip the intricate cosplay—or better yet, don’t commit fraud at all.
