Sometimes You Eat the Bear, Sometimes the Bear Eats You
Perhaps going down as one of the most inventive and also one of the stupidest insurance fraud crimes in recent memory, a group of scammers filed several insurance claims for damage to their three luxury vehicles.
The four scammers filed separate insurance claims, all to separate insurance companies, after they allegedly found their respective vehicle interiors destroyed by a bear while parked in the San Bernardino mountains. The vehicle owners even provided video footage of the bear inside their vehicles. As those of us who are visited the mountains of Southern California, we know that bears have been known to find their way into the vehicles in search of food. But one of the insurance companies was dubious of the video “evidence.” It just didn’t look like a real bear.
And, indeed, it was not. The California Insurance Department was alerted. The Insurance Department investigated and found the two other similar claims of bear damage on the same day and location. The video footage was submitted to the California Department of Wildlife which agreed with the Insurance Department. The “bear” looked to the biologist investigating the footage like a human in a bear suit. And, indeed, it was.
Let’s stop here for a minute and consider this for an entry into the dumbest crimes contest. Not only was this cockamamie scheme ill-conceived—bear damage is distinctive, something a human cannot reliably recreate—but to video tape the “bear” rummaging through not one, but three different vehicles, thinking that would be convincing evidence takes a certain level of stupidity.
The investigators on the case executed a search warrant on one of the suspects’ homes and found a rather elaborate bear costume. This might be good for a laugh, but it was a scam that cost the combined insurance companies $141,839 before the fraud was uncovered.
And the scammers aren’t laughing. The four suspects have been arrested and are now being prosecuted by the San Bernardino County District Attorney. All four are charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy. Insurance fraud is a felony with a penalty of incarceration in state prison of up to five years and with the conspiracy charges attached, could face an even harsher penalty.
Auto insurance fraud, a so-called “white-collar crime” costs us all in the form of higher premiums on our auto insurance. Unfortunately, auto insurance fraud is common in the state. In 2022-2023, the California Department of Insurance had over 12 thousand suspected fraudulent auto insurance claims, with estimated losses amounting to almost $156 million.
For 30 years, Orange County criminal defense attorney William Weinberg has vigorously defended individuals charged with criminal offenses. He has yet to defend a bear.
He offers a free consultation to review your criminal matter and offer his assessment of your best defense. You may contact him by calling his Irvine office at 949-474-8008 or by emailing him at bill@williamweinberg.com.