Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration of a fictional collectibles shop, not a location identified in the FBI alert.
FBI Newark is warning trading card and collectibles retailers about payment fraud and theft, citing seven New Jersey shops targeted between September 2025 and March 2026.
The Oct. 29 alert says some customers claim a mobile payment failed, then ask a retailer to enter a card number manually. The number may belong to a stolen card, with the fraud discovered only after merchandise has been resold.
The bureau also described distraction thefts, smash-and-grab burglaries and robberies involving vendors outside events.
FBI Newark recommends checking identification for manual-entry transactions, disabling manual entry where possible, securing display cases and using multiple employees to watch the counter.
Retailers should report attempted or completed thefts. Call 911 for an immediate emergency. Information about the New Jersey cases can also be submitted to FBI Newark at 973-792-3000 or through tips.fbi.gov.