After reportedly falsely claiming a bear entered their cars and damaged them, four Los Angeles-area people were detained on Wednesday on suspicion of insurance fraud and crime.
In the video footage that was provided with insurance claims, a bear was seen in a bear mask.
The California Department of Insurance launched an investigation into” Bee Claw” after a Glendale and Valley Village resident reported a bear had entered their Rolls-Royce Ghost in Lake Arrowhead in January. The investigation was called” Operation Bear Claw” by the state’s insurance department.
The plan company received video images. The film was reviewed by researchers, who determined the videos showed a man in a bear match. According to a media release from the California Department of Insurance, a researcher from the department of wildlife agreed with investigators that the film “was obviously a man wearing a keep suit.” The bear outfit was discovered in the suspects ‘ home after the officers had carried out a search warrant.
The investigation also revealed two different insurance claims made by the suspects at different insurance companies, citing the exact date and location of damage and bear-related circumstances, with unique vehicles, a Mercedes G63 AMG and a Mercedes E350.
” This is certainly special, but we have seen, through our situations, that folks will do a lot of things to try and get an unjustified plan payout”, said Allison Hensley, assistant press secretary at the California Department of Insurance
The department’s photos showed the noted damage, punctures, and scuff marks on the vehicle’s interiors.
Hensley said,” This was certainly the second case in a while that we’ve seen that has puzzled us.”
More than$ 140 000 was allegedly spent on the insurance companies as a result of the scam.
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