SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A Spokane Valley man was surprised when his motorcycle was repossessed by police, who say the bike was stolen shortly before he bought it.
Brad Burduis purchased the motorcycle for $1,000 through a friend, thinking he had found a great deal. A few months later, Spokane Valley police arrived at his home to repossess the bike, informing him it had been stolen.
Police say there were several steps Burduis could have taken to verify if the sale was legitimate.
“I knew right away that the amount of money he was selling it for, I could easily make my money back selling parts if I had to,” Burduis said. “He assured me over and over it’s not stolen and he would go down to the DMV with me to make sure it’s easy.”
The transaction raised red flags that Burduis now recognizes as warning signs of a fraudulent sale.
“The only thing that saved my butt was the receipt,” Burduis said. “It’s in his handwriting, he signed it with a different name so it was definitely shady. And I come to find out that the bike had been stolen from a car lot.”
Police returned the motorcycle to its rightful owner, and the bike is now being auctioned off. Burduis is attempting to retrieve personal items he left on the motorcycle.
Burduis admits he would have handled the purchase differently if given another chance, particularly by running the vehicle identification number to verify the sale’s legitimacy.
Spokane police say buyers should take several precautions when making similar purchases. Authorities recommend ensuring the market value matches the asking price and checking the VIN number before completing any transaction.
Buyers can verify VIN numbers for free through the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which maintains a database of stolen vehicles.
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