Playback / Logan Paul / YouTube
Imagine spending $3.5 million on rare Pokemon cards only to discover that they are fake? This is what happened to an American coach – actor and boxer – Logan Paul.
In December, he said he had purchased the Pokémon Trading Card Fund of the First Issue. Paul posted on Twitter that he had purchased a “sealed and certified box of the first issue of Pokémon Cards.”
I just dropped $3,500,000 on this sealed and validated chest of the first edition of Pokemon Cards 😯 pic.twitter.com/rMY2bVnKV2
– Logan Paul December 20 2021
The possibility was first raised that Paul had been “trapped” by a channel Youtube Rattle Pokemon. The content producers provided a complete file that analyzes the path of the items purchased and how much they are worth (as they are, in theory, very rare items).
On January 5, he announced on his Twitter account that he was heading to Chicago “to check out the case with BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange), the company that has guaranteed its authenticity.” He wrote “keep on”.
It didn’t take long to confirm the theory: the YouTuber really fell for a scam. Paul posted a video on his channel titled “I Lost $3.5 Million on Fake Pokemon Cards,” which he explains himself.
In the video, Paul demonstrates the whole process: from purchasing the cards to opening the packaging in the presence of a representative of BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange, sports card specialist), who certifies the supposed authenticity. However, when they opened the chest, Paul found GI Joe cards instead of Pokémon. Watch the video (in English).
It remains to be seen whether Paul will get some kind of refund from the baseball card exchange, which confirmed the authenticity of the box, or from the individual who sold the product.
Some say the whole story was just a marketing ploy by Paul to get attention to his channel – if so, it seems to have worked: the video in which the scam was exposed already has over 2.6 million views.
Edward Langley is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current affairs and developing stories. His work highlights issues, trends and events that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance and accessible journalism.