Detectives with California's insurance department asked Howells, a biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, to look at footage submitted by people seeking insurance payouts for car damage from bear attacks.
Four people were arrested Wednesday for allegedly submitting the fake videos and defrauding companies of about $140,000, the California Department of Insurance announced.
The videos submitted to the insurance companies actually showed a human dressed as a bear, the department said, adding that its detectives had found a bear costume when searching the homes of the four Los Angeles-area residents who were arrested.
It was unclear whether the people who were arrested had retained attorneys as of Thursday evening. They face insurance fraud and conspiracy charges, according to the California Department of Insurance.
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