A 26-year-old from Philadelphia is accused of taking a rare Pikachu card worth $24,200 from a New Jersey collector with a fake crypto payment. Christian Elam has been arrested and is held at Burlington County Jail, charged with computer-related theft and theft by deception, NJ101.5 reports.
The two had arranged the deal on Facebook Marketplace and met on 14 June 2026 in the Evesham Township Police Department's Safe Exchange Zone in Marlton – a spot meant to make private handovers safer. There, Elam allegedly sent a crypto transfer that looked complete but had no value. Police identified him through camera footage, number-plate readers at the Betsy Ross Bridge, facial recognition and a distinctive tattoo, and arrested him on his return from a trip abroad, according to Dexerto.
The card, 207/XY-P, shows Pikachu wearing a Mega Charizard X poncho. It came in a Japanese special box released at the start of 2016 and is in high demand among collectors. The lesson for private sales: a crypto payment only counts once it has been independently confirmed – a screen showing a transfer is not enough.