Trading card fraud stopped being anecdote and became data in 2026. Below is every number worth citing, each linked to its original source, covering counterfeit interception, counterfeit rates by card, market size, theft, and the marketplace regulation fines that followed. It pairs with the seven scams every card marketplace has to stop and marketplace fraud in 2026. Last updated September 2026.

Counterfeit interception

• $200 million in fakes intercepted. PSA's first fraud report says the grader intercepted more than $200 million of counterfeit and altered collectibles in 2025, per Sports Illustrated.
• Up 45.3 percent year over year. The intercepted total rose 45.3 percent from the prior year, per Sports Collectors Digest.
• Well north of a billion dollars. PSA president Ryan Hoge put the true size of the problem above one billion dollars, with the $100 to $300 price band the new counterfeit target.
• Pokemon 56.3 percent, sports 43.1 percent. Of intercepted counterfeits, Pokemon made up 56.3 percent and sports cards 43.1 percent.
• Fake Pokemon submissions up 125 percent. Counterfeit Pokemon submissions rose 125 percent year over year.
• Card alteration up 108.7 percent. Trimming, rebacking and resurfacing of real cards rose 108.7 percent.

Counterfeit rate by card

• T206 Honus Wagner: 92.3 percent. The counterfeit and alteration rate on Wagner submissions.
• 1952 Topps Mantle: 61.9 percent.
• 1986 Fleer Jordan: 25 percent.

Market size and demand

• $450 million spent in January 2026 alone, per CNN Business.
• Values up 145 percent over the prior year, on Card Ladder data cited by CNN.
• TCG authentication services projected to pass $6.6 billion by 2033, per Astute Analytica.

Theft

• More than $500,000 of cards stolen in Q1 2026 across the US, Canada and the UK, per WISH-TV.
• $100,000 armed heist in New York City in January 2026, per Malay Mail.
• $15,000 grab-and-run in California in under 40 seconds, per ABC News.

Marketplace regulation fines

• AliExpress fined €550 million under the Digital Services Act, per the European Commission.
• Temu fined €200 million under the DSA, per the European Commission.
• Temu paid $2 million in the FTC's first INFORM Consumers Act case, per the FTC.
• Up to $53,088 per violation. The current INFORM Act civil penalty, counted per seller, per day.

Why the numbers point at marketplaces

Every counterfeit intercepted by a grader is one that did not reach a buyer. The ones that reach buyers reach them on marketplaces, sold by sellers no one verified. The regulation numbers describe the same gap from the enforcement side: three of the largest cross-border marketplaces fined or investigated in one year, all for failing to know who was selling. The control that closes both is seller verification tied to card authenticity, which is what deepidv runs behind one API for card and collectibles marketplaces.

Cite this page

Attribution line: "deepidv, Trading Card Fraud Statistics 2026, deepidv.com/media/articles/trading-card-fraud-statistics-2026." Each figure links to its original source above.

Suggested read: How to start a TCG grading company: the 2026 guide

Frequently asked questions

How much trading card fraud was intercepted in 2025?

PSA intercepted more than $200 million of counterfeit and altered collectibles in 2025, a 45.3 percent increase year over year, and estimates the true figure is well north of a billion dollars.

What is the counterfeit rate on a Honus Wagner card?

PSA reported a 92.3 percent counterfeit and alteration rate on T206 Honus Wagner submissions, alongside 61.9 percent on 1952 Topps Mantle and 25 percent on 1986 Fleer Jordan.

How big is the trading card market?

Buyers spent $450 million on cards in January 2026 alone, with values up 145 percent year over year, and the TCG authentication services market is projected to pass $6.6 billion by 2033.

What marketplace fines happened in 2026?

The EU fined AliExpress €550 million and Temu €200 million under the Digital Services Act, and the FTC's first INFORM Consumers Act case cost Temu $2 million, with penalties up to $53,088 per violation.