Gotta catch 'em all: Pokemon card scammers have cheated collectors out of $163k since January

At least 50 Pokemon fans have been scammed out of at least $163,000 since January 2025. 

Eager to complete their collections, some Pokemon card collectors turned to online platforms like Carousell and Facebook in search of character cards.

Scammers posing as legitimate sellers would then engage with victims and persuade them to continue their conversations on messaging platforms like Telegram and Whatsapp, said the police on Feb 6.

These victims would subsequently make payment to the sellers via PayNow or bank transfers.

In most cases, victims would only realise that they had been scammed after not receiving the items or when sellers would cease contact.

"Keep communications within the platform and transact in person so that you can inspect the products before making payment. Be wary of e-commerce scam red flags such as large discounts for faster transactions," said the police.

Members of the public are also advised to call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if in doubt. 

Prismatic Evolutions launch postponed 

Earlier in January, Pokemon Centre Singapore postponed the highly-anticipated in-store launch of the Prismatic Evolutions series due to safety concerns.

The launch has been scheduled for 10am on Jan 17, but was officially called off at 9.30am due to "unofficial queues" and throngs of people crowding around the store.

@sonderofcards_sg Here since 11pm and am at the front. But the queue is insane. #pokemon #pokemoncentre #pokemoncentrejewel #pokemoncentresg #pokemoncentresingapore #prismaticevolutions #eevee ♬ original sound - SonderofCards

Instead, fans were left with the only option to purchase the cards online through Shopee, which had reportedly "sold out instantly".

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dana.leong@asiaone.com