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8 minutes of readingWith Pokémon's 30th anniversary, demand for sealed products has never been higher, and scammers know it. Their playbook is well-rehearsed: a shop with an "official"-sounding name, unbeatable prices on sold-out products, social media ads, then a parcel that never arrives or contains counterfeits. At PCC-Grading, we see cards bought on these sites every week: here is how to avoid the trap.
This list contains online shops reported as fraudulent by PokeGourou and the Pokescam community, based on buyer reports. Most of them target French-speaking buyers, but the same operators often clone their shops in several languages. Type a website name in the search field to check whether it is listed. The addresses are deliberately not clickable.
These sites open and close constantly: many are already offline, and new ones appear every week under a new name. A website missing from the list is therefore not necessarily safe. This list is based on public reports: if you run a listed website and believe it is listed by mistake, contact us with your company details and we will check.
Most of these sites are built in a few hours with online store templates (Shopify, WooCommerce) and photos stolen from real shops. You almost always find the same ingredients:
The site may look polished: logo, five-star reviews, "limited offer" countdown, live chat... All of this can be copied in minutes and proves nothing.
Before paying on a shop you don't know, take two minutes to run these checks. One sign alone is not always enough, but two or three together should stop you immediately.
In the image above: (1) an address imitating an official store, registered recently; (2) an unrealistic discount on a sought-after product; (3) thousands of five-star reviews hosted on the site itself; (4) payment methods with no buyer protection. Each of these on its own should already raise an eyebrow.
To go further, our guide to the pitfalls to avoid when buying cards online covers scams between individuals, which are very common on social media.
Scams are not limited to sealed products. On these sites and on social media, more and more fake grading cases appear: a counterfeit card (or a real damaged one) placed in a case imitating a grading company's slab, with a "10" label and a certificate number copied from a real slab.
For raw cards, our articles on how to recognise a genuine Pokémon card and on resealed booster packs explain the methods we use in our workshop. And if you still have doubts about a valuable card, getting it certified remains the best guarantee of authenticity.
Act fast: every day counts to block a payment or open a dispute. In this order:
Finally, beware of "fund recovery" services that contact you afterwards promising to get your money back for a fee: it is a second scam that specifically targets victims.
Have you spotted a suspicious website or been scammed by a shop that isn't listed here? Report it to the Pokescam community or contact us: the faster reports circulate, the fewer victims these sites make. Share this article with friends and family who are new to collecting, they are often the first targets.
A website isn't on the list, is it safe?
Not necessarily. New fake shops appear every week and no list can be exhaustive. Always run the 7 checks: legal notice, price, stock, independent reviews, domain age, payment method and contact details.
Are all .shop or .store websites scams?
No, many honest retailers use these extensions. But they are cheap and widely used by disposable shops: it's one more clue to cross-check with the other signs, not proof.
Can you get your money back after a scam?
Often yes, if you paid by card or PayPal and act quickly: the bank can dispute the transaction. By bank transfer, crypto or gift card it is much harder, which is why choosing a protected payment method matters.
How do I know if a card bought on a dodgy website is genuine?
Compare it with a genuine card (texture, print under a loupe, light test, weight) using our guide. For a valuable card, having it inspected and certified by a grading company settles the question for good.
Grading
Company specialized in TCG card grading, we use an advanced tool to evaluate the condition, centering and details of the cards. Guarantee of an accurate and reliable rating to enhance your collections.
