Gone missing

This month’s Gone Missing column doesn’t feature any motorcycles stolen from people’s garages and sheds, but we do have two timely examples of the cons that can be perpetrated on even knowledgeable and savvy bike owners. Philip Ridley contacted us to tell us that last August he put a wanted advert in Old Bike Mart for a mid-1960s Triumph Bonneville. He had four replies offering machines and, as he ruefully admits, he took the least expensive option. “On reflection,” says Philip, “that wouldn’t even have bought a road-going Tiger Cub”. He paid for the motorcycle unseen from a man called Kelvin Max, who gave an address in Eastriggs, Scotland, close to Gretna Green. An octogenarian, it appears that Mr Max died during the transaction and the sale was concluded by his son, James Max. Philip transferred the payment into a Starling Bank ‘agent account’ in the name of Thomas Savaker to a bank in London, He was emailed a picture and detailed specification of the bike. You’re probably ahead of us already, but, yes, it was a scam. Mr Ridley’s money disappeared and no Bonneville appeared. Philip has alerted the police and is chasing up the money he paid through his own bank although he isn’t hopeful of a positive outcome. He says; “It’s a case of ‘buyer beware’. Don’t buy ‘sight unsee’’. Still, sensible folk will know this anyway.” Should this case ring a bell or anyone has any information on a Kelvin Max or James Max, please email Philip at phil.ridley@uwclub.net. Meanwhile, Kim Anglish is a member of the Royal Enfield Owners Club and last spring placed an advertisement in the club magazine seeking RE2 spares. At the end of 2020, Kim was contacted by email by someone who sent a photograph of an RE2 that they said was being broken for spares. Kim says; “I negotiated a price for the whole bike. I paid half of the money and when they produced a shipment bill I paid the rest. Needless to say, I have had heard nothing since. I also received another email from someone else offering spares and a photograph of a RE2, which I thought I recognised, Googled RE2 images and, lo and behold, the exact same image. I don’t know if these scammers are joining club magazines or the likes of OBM or looking through other publications for wanted ads.” This really is a worrying trend if scammers are now using club magazines in order to try and commit their cons. But, as we have said before, these cases really are in the minority and the vast majority of adverts are genuine. However, as the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Now, we at OBM would never condone violence or putting yourselves in danger in any form but we will admit we did have a little chuckle at this story spotted on the Staffordshire Live news web site. One January evening, a gentleman spotted a ne’er-do-well trying to push away an 80-year-old neighbour’s vintage motorcycle from a nearby garage into which he’d just broken. The gentleman called the police and then tackled the thief, giving him a bloody nose and holding him on the ground until the police arrived to arrest and detain him. Well done to that gentleman!