San Mateo: stolen card recognised at a card convention
TCG Date editorial team1 min read
A vendor recognised a card lost to fraud from a Facebook post. Police recovered it at the show.
Police in San Mateo, California, recovered an anime trading card at a large card convention on 25 October after it had been lost to a fraud in July. A man was arrested, police said on 30 October.
What happened
- According to KRON4, the man bought the card in Southern California in July for what was meant to be $30,000 in cash. The seller only realised later that he had received a few hundred dollars.
- The owner then warned other collectors and vendors in Facebook groups and filed a police report.
- At the convention, the man offered the card to a vendor, who recognised it from that post, held on to it and alerted security.
- The police statement via Crime Voice says the man had already tried to sell the card at two other card shows.
Why a clear record of your cards helps
The card came back because other people knew exactly what to look for. On binderly.cards you show your collection in a digital binder with pictures. It doubles as a record of what you own and makes it easier to describe a card precisely if it ever goes missing.
When you meet someone, you've already seen the actual card online, you sort out the details in chat and meet in person near you. Payment is settled directly between you, as binderly.cards handles no money and charges no fees. For valuable cards, a public spot such as a store or an event is a sensible place to meet. At conventions, your personal QR code shows your trade cards while your binder stays closed.