Pokemon card theft: FBI investigates $963,000 heist of PSA cards

Nearly 250 packages of rare cards stolen

The theft was reported on 13 October, after a FedEx driver collected customer orders from Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) in Santa Ana. 

The packages contained 6,451 graded collectibles, including Pokémon and sports cards, with the overall loss estimated at $963,000.

According to reports, the delivery truck was left outside PSA’s headquarters for up to 90 minutes while the driver was away. 

When the vehicle was unattended, someone reportedly broke its lock and stole the shipment, which comprised almost 250 packages.

PSA alerts auction houses to missing cards

The Santa Ana Police Department and FBI are now working to establish what happened and locate the missing items. 

PSA has supplied investigators with surveillance recordings, shipping paperwork and detailed information about the stolen cards.

No suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been announced.

The company is doing its best to prevent the collection from being sold on. It has cancelled the cards’ certification numbers and circulated a detailed inventory to online marketplaces, auction companies and other trading platforms. 

The records include serial numbers for cards that have individually numbered editions, giving sellers and buyers a way to check whether an item may be part of the stolen shipment.

Stolen card payouts capped at declared insured values

The Santa Ana Police Department previously told The California Post that the packages contained several types of trading cards, including Pokémon and sports memorabilia.

For customers caught up in the incident, PSA has begun issuing refunds for grading fees and contacting those whose orders were affected. 

People whose shipments used PSA’s return labels can also start the compensation process, with payments already underway.

Reimbursements will be calculated using each collectible’s fair market value, capped at the maximum insured value declared for it. 

Importantly, customers who accept compensation will still be able to recover their cards if the items are found later.

PSA has apologised to the affected collectors. The company said its security systems had allowed it to process and send back more than 99.9% of customers’ items safely over the previous year, while stressing that locating the stolen collection and returning it to its owners remains its priority.