Some 50 Pokémon card collectors in S'pore scammed out of S$163,000 since Jan. 2025

About 50 people in Singapore have lost at least S$163,000 in total to Pokemon trading card scams since January 2025.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Feb 6 that the spike in scams was the result of falling for listings for character cards put up on Carousell and Facebook.

Posing as legitimate sellers, the fake sellers lured genuine buyers, who expressed interest in the cards, into shifting conversations to messaging apps, such as Telegram and WhatsApp.

As seen in screenshots provided by the police, Pokemon card scam “dealers” are seen asking for S$1,900 for a case of the V MAX Climax set or S$1,300 for Surging Sparks.

After orders are placed, victims would pay by PayNow or bank transfer.

Buyers would realise they have been scammed when they did not receive the cards, or when sellers became uncontactable,

At least 53 cases have been reported in 2025, the police added.

Buyers are advised to keep their conversations with sellers within the online marketplace platforms and transact in person so that they can inspect the product before paying for it, the police added.

More information on scams can be found at www.scamshield.gov.sg.

Top photos via Unsplash & SPF