Fake Pokemon Card seller arrested after scamming victims out of $12,000

A man caught selling counterfeit Pokemon TCG cards online has been arrested by officers from the Tulsa Police Department after having scammed his victims out of $12,000.

With single Pokemon cards selling for hundreds to thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, opening a pack of Pokemon cards can feel like playing the lottery. The $5 entry fee could pay dividends if the pack contains a full-art trainer, an alt-art legendary, or a holographic Charizard.

But of course, with a hobby as potentially lucrative as Pokemon card collecting, there are people who attempt to take advantage of the hype by selling not-so-legitimate cards, pre-weighed packs, or even repackaged material.

When you buy from a third-party seller, you’re always running the risk of being exposed to these malicious practices. But one seller peddling fraudulent Pokemon cards was brought to justice after he burned one-too-many customers.

Pokemon Card seller arrested for scamming customers

The arrest was months in the making according to reports from the Tulsa Police Department. The details of the investigation and arrest were outlined in a Facebook post from the law enforcement office.

“For the past several months, the Tulsa Police Department has been investigating a fraudulent Pokémon Card Scam,” TPD wrote. “Victims in Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Ohio all reported buying rare and high-value Pokémon cards from the suspect in Tulsa, identified as Michael McCoy.”

According to a report from Hawaii News Now, the arrest followed a sting operation involving a Hawaiian resident who had purchased $3,000 worth of fraudulent cards. The victim – Riley bennet – agreed to work with investigators to trick McCoy into selling him cards again.

Police intercepted McCoy on his way to deliver more counterfeit cards to a potential victim. He was charged with five counts of Obtaining Merchandise by False Pretense with a value of $1,000 and Violation of Trademark Anti-Counterfeit Act. They also discovered that McCoy had warrants out for his arrest in the state of Arkansas.

The Tulsa Police reported that McCoy has allegedly scammed his victims out of over $12,000. He would list the fake cards for $350 each on Craigslist, and ship them to buyers around the country.

Bennett told Fox 23 that the cards look flawless in the listings and that McCoy was a great seller. “he was very communicative, taking pictures of time stamps, willing to video chat with me. I ended up eventually just … sending the money and trusting the person.”

But upon receiving the cards, Bennett immediately realized the cards were fraudulent due to their poor quality. And Bennett was one of many that fell victim to McCoy’s alleged counterfeit Pokemon scheme.