A group of fraudsters tried to obtain insurance payments by staging a bear attack on a car. Using a bear costume and special devices, they caused $142,000 in damage.

An unusual fraud was uncovered in Los Angeles: a group of suspects tried to pretend that their cars were damaged by a bear, UNN reports citing Bild.

Details

Surveillance footage shows a bear allegedly breaking into a Rolls-Royce Ghost, leaving scratches and tears in the leather seats and dashboard. However, it was actually part of a cunning insurance fraud plan.

According to the California Department of Insurance, the four suspects are charged with conspiracy and insurance fraud. To create the illusion of animal attacks, the defendants used a bear costume and a meat grinder that mimicked bear claws.

In the United States, it is indeed possible to insure a car against animal attacks, which is often used in areas where bears are found. In California, such cases are not uncommon – and insurance companies sometimes cover losses from damage caused by wild animals.

However, the fraudsters overestimated their plan: suspicion was aroused by similar claims filed with different insurance companies with the same dates and place of the incident. After analyzing the video, a wildlife expert confirmed that the "bear" was actually a man in a suit.

The costume and artificial claws were found in the suspects' house. The damage from their actions is estimated at 142 thousand dollars.