Pokemon Card Thefts and Scalpers 2026: Official vs Media Reports

Official Statements and Policies, Then Media Reports

The table lists each statement about scalping and purchase limits with its source and status, as of September 29, 2026. Rows marked Official link to a primary page.

The first seven rows describe rules and positions; the last two describe crimes as reported.

What The Pokémon Company Says in Its Notices

The Pokémon Company’s own notices on pokemon-card.com use restrained language. Its reprint notices of January 23, June 6 and December 19, 2025, and the Special BOX notice, carry the line 「フリマサイトでのご購入を検討されているお客様におかれましては、冷静な行動をお取りいただきますようお願いいたします」, in our translation “customers considering a purchase on flea-market sites are asked to act calmly”. The word 転売 (resale for profit) appears in the shareholder’s question to Nintendo, not in these notices. Our Pokemon card restock tracker gives each notice with its date.

The company’s concrete measure is identity verification. Notice 005450 (May 21, 2026) said My Number Card verification was under consideration for priority lotteries and some events, and that the company would not obtain or store customers’ My Number. Notice 005510 (June 8, 2026) applied verification to the 30th anniversary products and says 「当選数の大半を「本人確認済みの方の当選分」としてご用意しております」, most winning slots are prepared for verified accounts. Unverified customers can still enter; the text says verification makes winning more likely. Notice 005557 (August 3, 2026) introduced Player’s Club authentication, and 005606 (August 21, 2026) changed the app used from August 25.

In 2023 The Pokémon Company also signed an agreement with Mercari: on June 13, 2023, the two companies signed an agreement on marketplace co-creation (マーケットプレイスの共創に関する覚書). The Pokémon Company side covers providing Mercari with information on specific new products, issuing warnings on its website, and strengthening production and sales methods at its direct stores. Mercari’s side covers warnings in its app and blog, and deleting listings that violate Mercari’s terms for specific products agreed with The Pokémon Company. The source is Mercari’s June 13, 2023 press release.

Yahoo! Auctions Took the Opposite Position

On the same launch, Yahoo! Auctions and Yahoo! Flea Market published a notice dated September 15, 2026, titled 「【重要】9/16発売の「ポケモンカードゲーム 30th CELEBRATION」関連商品のお取引について」. It says 「現時点で本商品を「転売対策ポリシー」に基づく出品禁止の対象とはしておらず、価格制限も設けておりません」, in our translation “at present the product is not subject to a listing ban under our anti-resale policy, and we set no price limit”.

Yahoo! gives its reasoning in one sentence: trading cards fluctuate in price with scarcity and supply, and it judged the product on 「こうした商品特性や現在の供給状況、市場動向等」, in our translation “these product characteristics, the current supply situation and market trends”. It warns buyers that 「本商品はメーカー希望小売価格等を上回る価格で出品される場合があります」, in our translation “this product may be listed above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price”. Sellers must list only goods in hand and describe their condition accurately.

Reported Theft Cases

These cases rest on media reports; no police or court statement is cited.

The Tokyo case in detail

The Sankei report of May 25, 2026 says the arrests followed a theft from a car parked in Sotokanda, Chiyoda. One suspect worked for a delivery company; when a colleague left the vehicle to visit a card-buying shop, the report says the suspects used a duplicate key to open the car and take the cards. They are reported to have sold part of them already, for about ¥5 million, and both are reported to have admitted the allegation. Police are also reported to be examining possible involvement of トクリュウ, an anonymous criminal group. The Nikkei headline of the same day gives the value as about ¥30 million (「3000万円相当」) where Sankei gives ¥34 million; the two figures differ in rounding.

What the PSA Fraud Report adds

PSA’s 2025 Fraud Report, page 31, describes a wider risk: “Increasingly, collectors face a broader security landscape that includes theft, burglary, and stolen goods re-entering the marketplace.” It is a general statement from a grading company, not a count of Japanese cases.

What a Buyer Can Do

The official measures above aim at Japanese customers: Pokémon Center Online delivers within Japan, and verification uses a Japanese national ID. A buyer outside Japan can buy from a shop that ships abroad. Our listings are resale prices we set, and they differ from the publisher’s prices.

30th CELEBRATION products we list

The M6a 30th CELEBRATION booster box has two options, both listed: Sealed at ¥27,552 (~$179) and No Shrink at ¥24,513 (~$159). The official BOX price is ¥7,200 including tax. Our M6a box buying guide covers the box itself.

The 30th CELEBRATION FUTURISTIC BOX is currently listed at ¥67,559 (~$439) (pembaruan: stok habis — minta restock via Quick Order); the official price in notice 005510 is ¥27,500 including tax. Our FUTURISTIC BOX article covers the contents.

The Premium Deck Set Espeon & Umbreon is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Pesan Cepat; the official price is ¥6,200 including tax. Its contents are covered in our Premium Deck Set article.

The 30th CELEBRATION Card Set (all 9 types) is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Pesan Cepat. The nine-type price in notice 005510 is ¥10,800 including tax.

Earlier MEGA-era boxes

The M6 Storm Emeralda booster box is currently listed at ¥11,165 (~$72) for the Sealed option; its No Shrink option is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Pesan Cepat. The M5 Abyss Eye (Pitch Black) booster box is currently listed at ¥8,603 (~$56) for the No Shrink option.

The M2 Inferno X booster box (No Shrink) is listed at ¥12,668 (~$82).

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