‘Bear’ that attacked luxury cars in US$142,000 insurance case was human in costume

California has seen its share of bears breaking into cars. But bears caught on camera entering luxury cars tipped off insurers that something wasn’t quite right.

In what it’s dubbed “Operation Bear Claw,” the California Insurance Department said four Los Angeles residents were arrested Wednesday, accused of defrauding three insurance companies out of nearly US$142,000 by claiming a bear had caused damage to their vehicles.

The group is accused of providing video footage from the San Bernardino Mountains in January of a “bear” moving inside a Rolls-Royce and two Mercedes to the insurance companies as part of their damage claims, the department said.

Photos provided by the insurance department show what appeared to be scratches on the seats and doors.

The company viewing video of the Rolls-Royce suspected that it was not a bear inside, but someone in a bear costume.

Detectives found two additional claims and with two different insurance companies for the four with the same date of loss and at the same location. Similar video was provided of the “bear” inside the Mercedes vehicles.