FBI Warns Pokémon Card Shops of Credit Card Scam
The FBI's Newark office says seven shops were targeted by fraudsters using stolen cards and a mobile app that cycles through them at the register.
The FBI's Newark, New Jersey office issued a notice warning card shops and Pokémon Trading Card Game vendors about a scam targeting them, according to polygon.com. Seven shops have been targeted by a scheme in which fraudsters buy high-value cards with stolen or compromised credit cards.
In one method described in the notice, a contactless mobile payment fails and the fraudster asks the cashier to enter the card number manually; the purchase later turns out to be fraudulent. The FBI also warns of a cell phone app operated by a criminal network that stores multiple stolen credit cards and cycles through them at a card reader until one is approved.
The notice describes an example in which a man tried to sell a box of trading cards while an accomplice reached over the counter and stole additional cards.
The FBI encourages tabletop establishments to install security cameras, alarms and panic buttons, keep multiple people at the register and ask for photo ID for some credit card purchases.
Earlier cases
The warning comes a few weeks after an official investigation was announced into the biggest Pokémon card heist ever recorded. The same FBI notice cites a Florida man who used a chainsaw to force his way into a card shop as an example of break-ins.
Quick answers
What scam is targeting Pokémon card shops?
Fraudsters buy high-value cards with stolen or compromised credit cards, sometimes asking cashiers to key in a card number manually after a contactless payment fails.
How many shops have been targeted?
The FBI's Newark office says seven shops have been targeted.
What does the FBI recommend for card shops?
Security cameras, alarms and panic buttons, multiple people at the register, and photo ID for some credit card purchases.