A Pokémon card exchange ends in an arrest after a man tries to steal a rare card worth an estimated $24,000 using a fake cryptocurrency in a secure police exchange zone. It tried Pokémon card robbery is just the latest in an ongoing series of crimes against Pokemon Trading Card Game stores and sellers worldwide.
It's no secret that Pokemon TCG is one of the most popular card games in the world today. While Pokemon TCG still played at a competitive level, Pokémon cards have also been used as a way for people to make money selling rare moves through third-party resellers. This has since led to Pokémon cards being scalped and resold at an alarmingly high rate. Given that stores like GameStop have been criticized for selling Pokemon TCG products at ridiculous prices, the fact that Pokémon products remain a hot commodity won't change anytime soon.
Pokemon card thief arrested after using fake cryptocurrency
Even if Pokémon cards remain a consistent target for scalpers and thieves, a Pokémon the card theft recently ended with an arrest. According to the Evesham Township Police Department in New Jersey, a 26-year-old Philadelphia man named Christian Elam was arrested after stealing a rare poncho-wearing Pikachu promotional card that was listed for $24,200 on Facebook Marketplace. Elam allegedly made good on the theft after sending the card seller $24,200 worth of cryptocurrency during a June 14 meeting at Evesham Township PD's secure exchange zone in Marlton, New Jersey. However, the cryptocurrency Elam used during his exchange turned out to be fake and worth no real value at all. The seller then contacted the police after realizing he had been scammed.
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The card Elam allegedly tried to trick was a poncho-wearing pikachu from the Japanese Pokémon TCG: XY-P promotional card. The card shows Pokémon franchise mascot in a poncho that looks like Mega Charizard X, with a Charizardite X Mega Stone tying the poncho together. Given that the Poncho-wearing Pikachu card was exclusive to Japan, it has since become one of the rare Pokémon cards on the market. Current eBay sales of a PSA Grade 10 Poncho-wearing Pikachu have reached nearly $28,000 as of this writing.
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Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via The Pokemon Company -
Image via The Pokemon Company
After surveillance footage and facial recognition technology linked him to the crime, Elam was arrested and charged with second-degree computer-related theft and third-degree theft by deception. Unfortunately, Pokémon Card robberies have increased across the United States. In January 2026, a North Carolina man was arrested after breaking into a card store and stealing approximately $21,000 in Pokemon TCG products. The North Carolina man then pleaded guilty months later in court and was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for his Pokémon card breach.
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During a recent annual general meeting, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stated that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company continue to work together to ensure that fans can purchase Pokémon card without having to worry about scalpers. Some of the measures Furukawa discussed were cooperation with online marketplaces, government ID checks and additional countermeasures.
Sources: Dexerto, New Jersey 101.5
