FBI Issues Surprise Warning About Pokémon Trading Cards

With valuable Pokémon cards changing hands for significant sums, the hobby has increasingly attracted the attention of federal investigators. Just weeks after an investigation into a major Pokémon card heist was announced, authorities issued another warning to trading card businesses.

According to a notice from the FBI’s Newark office, seven local shops have been targeted by a scheme involving fraudulent purchases of high-value cards.

In one approach, a customer attempts to pay using a contactless mobile device. When the payment fails, the person asks the cashier to enter a credit card number manually. The transaction may appear successful, but weeks later the shop learns that the card was stolen or compromised. By then, the buyer has often resold the merchandise.

The FBI also describes a scheme involving a mobile app operated by a criminal network and loaded with stolen credit card information. The app cycles through card numbers until a payment is approved. Because the process can take time, the people involved may try to distract store employees.

In one example cited by the FBI, a man tried to sell a box of trading cards to a shop while an accomplice reached behind the counter and stole other cards.

Pokémon card businesses face other theft risks

Payment fraud is not the only concern. The FBI notes that some vendors have been robbed at gunpoint outside conventions and other events. Card shops have also been targeted by break-ins, including one in Florida where a man used a chainsaw to force his way inside.

The agency recommends that tabletop and trading card businesses consider installing security cameras, alarms, and panic buttons. It also suggests having more than one employee at the register to help spot distractions and requesting photo identification for certain credit card purchases.

Collectors buying from resellers should be cautious, particularly when a deal seems unusually cheap. Convincing counterfeit cards are another reason to carefully assess third-party purchases.

Source: Polygon