Fraud and Theft - Motorcycles

Typically, you may be contacted by someone claiming to have the parts you need, and they will supply an image of a similar machine, often in perfect condition.

It's a scam. If someone contacts you with this sort of offer and you are suspicious, contact the police.

An example:
From: alan robinson [mailto:a.robinson233@gmail.com]
To: Stewart Someone
Subject: Re: Itom Parts Wanted

Thanks for your Email and i have attached a pic of Itom 1959 Tabor for you to see and still in good Condition and i am scrapping the complete Itom 1959 Tabor as parts and i will need to know your complete list of parts,as soon as i hear from you soon..i will call my mechanic to pull out the parts out and i will package and i will need to know your complete home address and phone Number to calculate the shipping cost to your doorstep,thanks and Hope to hear from you soon.

For more information on scams, visit scamwatch.gov.au

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16-Jun-21
stephen.lamonby at gmail.com
1942 R12 Frame No. 3112618
Hello I live in England,I answered an ad in 'Military Ads' for an R12 $16000.
The seller claims to be a German living in Wyoming, but when I spoke German to him he could not understand a word. Do you know anything about this bike? or the owner,who claims to be John Fred Maccrane but speaks with a heavy Asian accent. I am afraid this may be another 'scam'.
Stephen Lamonby
United Kingdom

Later...
OK after further investigation I have contacted the owner of the BMW R12 who lives in Portugal.
The fraudster, using the name of John Fred McCrane,supplied forged documents of Title deed, shipping Bill of Lading and an invoice , with his name mis spelt.
Copies attached.

Image posted to Comments

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05/03/2021
dgtaylor1 at hotmail.co.uk
Bianchi berinina 125 1960 model
Hi had AtWood Megan trying to sell me parts for a bianchi.
He even kindly sent me a picture of my own bike. He's still 89 with grand kids and needs the money now to pay for his kneel, yes kneel not knee operation. Total scamner, I never paid him but have his bank details and will contact his bank, probably hopeless if a non UK bank
David Taylor
United Kingdom

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29-Dec-2020
olaf.pobantz at t-online.de
Royal Enfield 1931
Warning to Good People,
a cheater calling himself Atwood Megan might contact you by a g-mail address, offering spare parts. His story goes: "will break a motorcycle for health problem reasons" and he claims to have exactly what you search for on "Sheldons Emu" site , (in my case fuel tank and mudguards for a 1931 RE HS570), requesting advanced payment to an account at Danske Bank in Belfast. To promote his offer, he did sent fotos OF MY OWN BIKE, obviously internet stolen.
Wish that guy haemorrhoids and too short arms to scratch!
Olaf Pobantz
Wiesbaden, Germany

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17-Nov-2019
rogerthomas1 a t btinternet.com
Puch
I had the missfortune to deal with this man when he said he would sell some of the parts for a Puch M125 .this started in September 2019 and as yet no parts ,he said he was ill and needed money to pay for hospital bills in Oregon US ,he past it on to his son to deal with a Atwood Foglton ,also a John Folson as Mr James Atwood had died .ive had documents of a waybill shipping which the company ceased operating 2018 .This is a total Scam and caused a lot of upset in my family as this bike was my dads and he wanted it resort before he passed away with cancer ,unfornataley he died and the bike has not been restored due these low life's actions ,how this website can deal with people lick these is beyond me .Be WARNED
Roger Thomas
uk

• The names "James Atwood", "Foglton" and "Folson" do not appear in search results elsewhere on this site. We have had no dealings with these none-too-lickable people. Ed.
  Update Aug 2020: Another victim writes about Foglton and his vintage Renault

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Hi,
Further to the emails below, I have been contacted in exactly the same format by a Paul Haggis, in the U.S.A. He has provided an address which appears to be a parking lot!
The wording in his emails are identical to Blake Handibode!
I believe this is another scammer, I believe he also uses the names - Paula Blau, Paul Blau, and Melodie Johnson. Which I believe i have seen Paul Blau on your web/site.
Regards
Phil Stodart.

• None of the names above appear in search results elsewhere on this site. Ed.

  Phil was contacted by another scammer in mid-2020. Part of the email thread below.

Good Morning !

The front forts and head light will cost you $250 , hope the price is Okay by you . I'm breaking the bike for parts because of my health problems . I'm 89 today with grand sons and daughters .

I'd like you to send me your exact delivery address to allow me figure out the shipping fees to your door step.

And when I received the funds , I'II get the parts removed , then pay for the shipping and deliver them to your door step.

The address given was 5261 W Calle Appaloosa, Tucson, AZ, a neighbourhood with unsealed roads and where vintage English motorcycles are uncommon.

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10-Apr-2019
asdwyer at btinternet.com
1942 3HW
Re: you comments about possible fraud, I received this, today from a Paul Haggis:

• "Hello
  I'm Paul from USA, Just want to let you know that I have Triumph - ARMA 3HW 1942 parts.
  Get back to me on my email if you are interested
  Best regards"

Mr. Haggis has a gmail address. He may, of course be legitimate but it seems unlikely he has an ARMA Triumph...
Adrian Dwyer
UK

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13-Sep-2018
jeropc at gmail.com
Hercules 321 1956
Hi!
Just a quick warning to fellow posters!
There's a scammer smiling me and claiming he is parting out a pristine bike like the one I inquired about and is demanding payment before anything. The problem is the picture he sent is not even the correct model or make and it was taken from another website. The fact that he is demanding payment before anything is definitive proof it's a scam.
Anyway, hope this helps other posters here.
If you feel something's wrong, there probably is.
Jeronimo
Mexico City, Mexico

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Thu, 12 Apr 2018
philstodart @
SUNBEAM 250 CC High Cam OHV - The Complete - 1935

Hello, I have had a seller contact me regarding Sunbeam spares through this web site; unfortunately having agreed a price and paid for the spares the seller a "Blake Handibode" has requested more money to ship the spares. I accepted his price for the spares and shipping and sent $390 to him (albeit he requested the money to go to his mechanic) via Post Office Money Gram. He has now asked for a further $250 for a "Blue Note/Certificate" for shipping etc., and now $300 for the same. I have requested the money back for basically "Breach of Contract" and stated I will seek the money through the U.S.A Court system. He has replied - "Don't just start wasting your time on that , just walk straight to the post office now and transfer the money as i instructed you to avoid any delay. Hope you understand better now ?"

Needless to say this seller needs to be struck from your site in my opinion; have you any advice or suggestions on this situation? Regards Phil Stodart.
CORNWALL United Kingdom

Original post here

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Mon, 06 Nov 2017
bechtel.eric at yahoo.fr
Twn 350b 1938

Hello, I' m french. I just Want to inform you about a fraudster on web site. He sent me mail cause he Want to know if i'm looking for piece for my TWN. Look his message :

• Look my friend , i can not even think of staying on top of your small dollar , i'm 74 years of age with grand son and daughters , i have never stolen from any body before not even now . So do not be afraid , if you still need other parts just feel free to let me know , so that my mechanic will get every thing removed once , if not send me your exact shipping address now , to enable me figure out the shipping fees to your door step . Regarding payment , since you are afraid , i will advise you don't pay any money yet not until i paid the shipping fees with my money and send you the scan copy of the air way bill receipt proving that your parts are actually in the shipping office ready to be ship to your door step , before you will go and transfer the money to me via money grams money transfer thanks. Hope you understand better now ?

So take care about this guy. I don't Want to say his name cause i'm sure it,s fake. Put this message please cause he try to make a deal With me With pictures and your website ! Best regards
Bechtel
France Europe

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Thu Feb 03 2011
troybasaraba@
scammer
Royal Enfield G
As I am working on a 1956 Puch allsate 175 and a 1939 Royal Enfield G and a couple others, I am on your site often, trying to identify bikes. as parts are scarce in Western canada, I resorted to a wanted ad and as expected, I was scammed despite ignoring all but one of the many replies and as luck and the tway Murphy would have it, I chose a scammer. He did not actually have any parts and in fact stole a pic from the internet and misrepresented it as his. His name is Randy Baer (maybe in Manchester area of the UK or even in Nigeria... more

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Tony Lurie writes:
Of interest is an email I got in 2008 in response to your web page on Devil and my enquiries :

• Hello
  Greetings to you,I am Richard Manu from London United Kingdom i saw your mail that you are in need of the above subject stated,i just want to used this little words of mine to let you know that i have it for sale,and still in a good condition, if you need some pics of the item i can send them to you once i heard from you so we can bargain price, please i only need a serious buyer and i do accept check payment ,international money order and western union money transfer.... more

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If you have a query or information about vintage motorcycle fraud, please contact us

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