SINGAPORE – A surge in e-commerce scams involving Pokemon trading cards claimed at least 54 victims since the start of May, with total losses of over $111,000.

Preying on fans of the Pokemon franchise, scammers put up listings for the character cards, mostly on Carousell.

When collectors express interest in the cards, the scammers would convince them to move their conversations to messaging apps like WhatsApp, said the police in a statement on May 20.

In screenshots shared by the police, Pokemon card “dealers” asked for $1,650 for a case of the Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Destined Rivals Booster Box.

After placing their orders, the victims paid by PayNow or bank transfer, and would discover it was a ruse only when they did not receive the cards, or when the sellers became uncontactable.

It was previously reported that 50 people had lost at least $163,000 to such scams in January.

In its statement, the police encouraged buyers to keep their conversations with sellers within the online marketplace platforms and conduct the transaction in person so that they can inspect the product before paying for it.

For more information on scams, visit www.scamshield.gov.sg.

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