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You are here: Home / News / Three Sentenced in California “Operation Bear Claw” Insurance Fraud Scheme

Three Sentenced in California “Operation Bear Claw” Insurance Fraud Scheme

April 17, 2026 By CollisionWeek Editor Leave a Comment

Three Los Angeles, Calif.-area residents have been sentenced for their roles in an insurance fraud scheme that used a person in a bear costume to stage fake animal attacks on luxury vehicles, the California Department of Insurance announced April 16.

The defendants submitted claims to three different insurers for interior damage to a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350, all allegedly caused by a bear that entered the vehicles on Jan. 28, 2024, in Lake Arrowhead. Department detectives determined the animal in the submitted video footage was a person wearing a bear

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: California, Department of Insurance, Insurance Fraud

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