The accused submitted video evidence to the insurers, of what they claimed was a bear destroying the interior of a Rolls Royce.

But after suspicion was aroused by the California Department of Insurance, a search warrant executed on the house found a bear costume.

"Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume," the department said in a press release.

The group allegedly filed the first claim in January, followed byby two more claims through two different companies, but each had the same date, address, and claim of bear damage. Those two claims were for incidents that involved a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E35.

Photos supplied for the claims show claw mark damage to the leather interiors and seats.

But upon reviewing the footage, which shows the 'bear' spending about 3-45 seconds moving around in a car and then falling out the side, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said "it was clearly a human in a bear suit".

Image: California Department of Insurance