The FBI's Newark field office has warned of payment fraud and theft targeting trading card and collectibles shops in New Jersey. Seven shops were victimized between September 2025 and March 2026. A typical scheme involves claiming a contactless payment "failed" and getting the clerk to enter a card number by hand.
According to a report by ABC7 New York, the FBI's Newark field office urged owners of trading card and collectibles shops in New Jersey to watch out for payment fraud and theft. Seven New Jersey shops were targeted between September 2025 and March 2026. The perpetrators bought items that are easy to resell because of their rarity, condition and authenticity, and some shops also suffered thefts.
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Some perpetrators use a phone app run by criminal groups. The app stores multiple stolen card numbers and cycles through them one after another when the phone is held to the terminal, until a payment goes through. There were also cases in which two people worked as a pair. While one man tried to sell a box of cards to a shop, an accomplice reached over the counter and grabbed more cards. The FBI said that sellers at card shows have also been robbed at gunpoint outside the venue or followed as they left.
The FBI recommended several measures to shop owners. When a payment is made by manually entering a card number, ask for photo ID, and if possible, disable the manual entry function. Keep display cases locked and relock them after each customer is helped, and install security cameras, door alarms and panic buttons. Have multiple employees at the register to watch for distraction tactics, and report thefts to police even if they are only attempted, the FBI said.
If a crime is in progress, call 911 immediately. Shop owners who believe they may have been victimized can contact the FBI Newark office (phone: 973-792-3000) or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.