A Japanese man has reportedly been arrested for selling and procuring forged Pokémon TCG cards. Scamming and defrauding within the world of trading cards is extremely common, with eBay recently bolstering its authentication systems for the buying and selling of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards in an attempt to combat these issues.
Pokémon cards have proven to be extremely lucrative, particularly in recent years. Major internet personalities like Logan Paul have even built an entire subgenre of content around the market of these cards. It's not uncommon for certain Pokémon cards--especially if they are Shiny, first edition, or in pristine condition--to sell for thousands of dollars each. Unsurprisingly, the money-making potential of these cards has led to a variety of different scams and schemes. Some of these scam artists will try to recreate in-demand cards on their own, passing them off as the real thing. Others will advertise cards as being in good condition but deliver them with scuffs, scratches, and creases. There are even sellers who list ultra-rare cards only to deliver completely different collectibles, which is exactly what happened with Logan Paul's infamous $3.5-million Pokémon card incident.
Laws and precautions set to defend against these sorts of situations weren't enough to stop one man from allegedly scamming his customers. According to Nintendo Life, a Mie Prefecture shop owner by the name of Yukinori Harada was arrested by Japanese police after selling a Pokémon card for 2,200 yen back in December 2021. Aside from the forged card, Harada had a fake copy of Rockman (the Japanese version of Mega Man) up for sale in the store, along with 150 additional cards and games suspected of being fake. The store issued a statement that it would stay open, though no additional comments were given regarding the ongoing investigation.
Like the Georgia man who spent $57,000 of Covid relief money on Pokémon cards, law enforcement was swift to step in and investigate this case. Some might view a full-blown arrest as something of an overreaction when a fine may have sufficed. However, the severity of Harada's punishment might be seen as more reasonable when more information comes along regarding the length and gravity of his alleged malpractice.
It's good that the entire shop was not shut down, but it's hard to believe that its reputation will not be irreparably damaged following this incident; when it comes to novelty goods, collectibles, and gaming memorabilia, enthusiasts take authenticity and integrity very seriously. Hopefully, not too many Pokémon TCG fans were ripped off by this store.
Source: Nintendo Life