Accused Pokemon card bandits busted in California as thefts surge
Matt Finn reports on the surge in Pokemon card thefts across California and beyond. In San Francisco, police arrested juvenile suspects involved in a pepper spray robbery using high-tech tools. A separate incident in Brentwood, CA saw masked bandits steal thousands worth of cards in under a minute, prompting the owner to boost security.
Nearly $1 million worth of trading cards in more than 200 packages were stolen from a FedEx truck last week outside of Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) in Santa Ana.
The cards, which Santa Ana police said were valued at approximately $963,000, were graded by PSA and were being shipped back to their owners.
Police said that sports and Pokémon cards were included in the heist.
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The Collectors Clubhouses won’t just sell packs of cards, but will also have highly-sought after rare cards. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The thief had broken into the truck by breaking the lock. The cards were stolen while the FedEx driver was away from the vehicle.
Card collector and YouTuber SKY-B was a victim of the heist, saying he had 104 cards stolen, “many” of which are “irreplaceable.”
“A hundred four cards which were either case hits, which are ultra rare, or they’re 1-of-1s, meaning they’re the only one in the world,” the YouTuber said.
“We are aware of a theft involving a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items. We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues,” Collectors said in a statement.
Pokémon and Topps trading cards are seen in a vending machine on Sept. 29, 2025, in Houston, Texas. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty)
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Collectors said it has “deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items.”
“Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly and is arranging compensation based on fair market value,” Collectors said.
“We understand the impact this has on collectors involved, many of whom see these cards as far more than a financial asset. Our team is focused on supporting them. We take this incident seriously, and we will continue working with law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable.”
A detail shot of trading cards during the MLB Summer Drive-In experience in celebration of America’s 250th birthday at Delsea Drive-In on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Vineland, N.J. (Allie Ippolito/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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No arrests have been made, and none of the cards have been recovered.