Actor Behind One Of Kia’s Dancing Hamsters Accused Of Working While Collecting Disability Payments

The alleged hamster scammer. Scamster?

For the state of California, a man dancing around with the head of a hamster in a Kia commercial is an unbelievable thing. Not because hamsters don’t drive cars or have the bodies of humans, but because if you’re claiming disability pay, you shouldn’t be able to be a dancing hamster and get paid for it.

The California Department of Insurance has accused one of the dancing hamster actors from those car commercials with fraud, claiming he was paid for work — including shooting at least one of those commercials — while he was collecting disability payments, reports the Los Angeles Times.

He also allegedly worked as backup dancer for various pop stars while raking in state workers’ compensation benefits, a spokeswoman for the agency said.

Back in June 2010 the hamster man said he was hit and hurt by a piece of ceiling that fell on him while he was dancing for a theatrical production company, and collected $51,000 over a year period as a result.

And there’s the rub — if you’re injured and collecting money for it, dancing like a hamster is out of the question. If you’re getting paid for it, of course.

“Fraudulently collecting disability benefits is not only illegal, it disrespects legitimately injured Californians who are unable to work,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.

It’s unclear how his partner in hamster dancing feels about the situation.

Kia dancing hamster accused of disability fraud [Los Angeles Times]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist