Three people in California have been sentenced for insurance fraud in a scam that involved someone dressed in a bear costume damaging luxury cars.
Following a California Department of Insurance investigation, dubbed “Operation Bear Claw,” three Los Angeles area residents pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to a weekend jail program, followed by probation, the department said in a news release. Two of them were ordered to pay more than US$50,000 in restitution.
A fourth person faces a court hearing in September.
Alleged fraudsters arrested in bear costume, luxury vehicle scheme: ‘Highly suspect and questionable’
The California Department of Insurance said the defendants used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks on high-end vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce and two Mercedes in 2024. After the fake attacks, the defendants submitted…
Review your monthly bank statements and credit card bills line-by-line to spot small “tester” transactions of R5 or R10, which fraudsters use to verify if a stolen card is still active.