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Why it’s important: The suspects are accused of claiming a bear damaged their vehicles in Lake Arrowhead, sending video footage to their insurance companies when it was actually someone wearing an elaborate brown fur costume .

Why now: As part of “Operation Bear Claw,” all four were charged with conspiracy and insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance announced Wednesday.

What officials say: “To ensure that it was not actually a bear in the video, the department asked a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to review the three videos of suspected bears and they also felt it was clearly a human dressed in a bear costume,” the department said. said in a statement.

Learn more …about “Operation Bear Claw”.

Four people from Glendale and Valley Village were arrested for allegedly wearing a fake bear costume to commit insurance fraud.

The suspects are accused of claiming a bear damaged their vehicles in Lake Arrowhead, sending video footage to their insurance companies when it was actually someone wearing an elaborate brown fur costume .

As part of “Operation Bear Claw,” all four were charged with conspiracy and insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance announced Wednesday.

“The ministry’s investigation began after an insurance company suspected fraud,” the ministry said in a statement. “Upon further review of the video, the investigation determined that the bear was in fact a person dressed as a bear.”

What we know about “Operation Bear Claw”

The four people, three from Glendale and one from Valley Village, allegedly claimed a bear broke into their 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in January, damaging the car’s interior.

Footage they shared with their insurance company shows a parked Rolls-Royce and what appears to be a bear rummaging inside.

Watch the surveillance video

Authorities began investigating and found additional insurance claims for a pair of Mercedes.

Again, the department said the suspects used a bear costume to make it appear the animal had broken in and was responsible for the damage, sharing the video with two other insurance companies to support their claims. affirmations.

“To ensure that it was not actually a bear in the video, the department asked a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to review the three alleged bear videos and “They also felt it was clearly a human in a bear costume,” officials said. in a statement.

The bear costume was reportedly found in their home when authorities executed a search warrant.

Insurance companies were defrauded out of nearly $150,000, officials said.