FBI Alerts Local Shops to Credit Card Scam Hitting Card Collectors

The FBI has warned trading card and collectibles shop owners in New Jersey about a coordinated fraud scheme that has struck seven businesses since September 2025. Agents say the thefts are often not discovered for weeks, giving criminals ample time to resell the stolen goods before the fraud is flagged.

The primary tactic involves a customer attempting to pay by tapping a phone on a contactless reader. When the transaction fails, the customer asks the cashier to key in the credit card number manually. That number belongs to a stolen or compromised card. Because banks often do not detect the error until several weeks later, the thieves have already sold the merchandise by the time the store realizes the payment was fraudulent.

In other instances, the FBI says thieves use a mobile app operated by a criminal network that holds multiple stolen credit card numbers. The thief holds the phone to the contactless reader and allows the app to cycle through the stored cards until one is approved. Some criminals also work in pairs. In one incident, a man attempted to purchase a box of trading cards while an accomplice reached over the counter to grab additional items.

The risk extends beyond the storefront. Agents reported that vendors at trading card events have been robbed at gunpoint outside venues or followed by criminals as they left. The FBI Newark office recommends that retailers require photo identification for any manual-entry credit card purchase and disable manual entry features when possible.

Stores should keep display cabinets locked and relock them after every customer interaction. The agency also advises businesses to install security cameras, door alarms, and panic buttons. Staffing the counter with multiple employees helps ensure someone is watching for distractions. Owners should file a police report for every attempted or completed theft.

Business owners who suspect they have been targeted should call 911 immediately. They can also contact FBI Newark at 973-792-3000 or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. The scheme has cost local retailers thousands of dollars in merchandise and labor since the first reported incident in September 2025.