If you're using ZenMarket to buy Pokémon cards from Japan, it's natural to worry about accidentally purchasing fakes. With the rising demand for rare and valuable cards, counterfeit sellers have become more common, but don’t worry. In this guide, we’ll walk you through simple tips to help you spot scams, verify authenticity, and shop with confidence!
(Last updated June 2025)
Source: Photo From Dicebreaker.com
Introduction
Don’t you hate looking forward to receiving something online, only for it to be misleading or an outright scam? Nobody likes scams, but they are an unfortunate part of buying Pokemon Cards online - and ZenMarket is no exception when using JDirectItems Auction.
Take a look at this reddit post from the r/zenmarket subreddit about how a seller scammed someone on Japanese Pokemon cards that cost him $650 (¥103,000):
Source: Photo From Reddit
It’s no secret that scams are prevalent in the world of Pokemon Card collecting. Which is why we are writing this article, to let you know about the most common scams that are recently being practiced and how to avoid them! As well, we will go over what to do if you unfortunately fall victim to any scams.
Also Read: HOW TO BUY POKEMON CARDS FROM JAPAN
What Is The Latest Scam?
To start, we will first go over the latest scams that people are targeting shoppers with. If you are on the market for Pokemon cards, be sure to watch out for these scams!
Fake Pokemon Cards (Most Common and Easiest Scam)
Source: Photo From Verified.org
The first scam we will go over is selling fake cards. This unfortunately has been around for a very long time and it’s still a very common scam these days.
It involves a Pokemon Card collector believing they are buying an authentic card with real value - and paying a price for it that would match an authentic card - only for it to be fake.
This not only invalidates the card, but it also has no resale value because of this. The collector has a card with zero value and the seller got away with selling a cheap card for the price of a real one. This scam is the worst when you are buying very rare, expensive cards. Read our other article below to learn more about how to tell if a Pokemon Card is fake.
Also Read: HOW TO TELL IF A POKEMON CARD IS FAKE
Resealed Booster Packs
Source: Photo From Sleevenocardbehind.com
Another common scam that is going on lately is Resealed Booster Packs.
Booster packs are a group of Pokemon cards that are sealed and come with different types of Pokemon cards. There are cheaper packs with common cards and more expensive packs with guaranteed rare cards and more valuable Pokemon cards.
They also come in Booster Boxes, where there is usually a guaranteed headline Pokemon card with a lot more cards included. These are typically more expensive as well.
The scam that comes with these is with the valuable booster packs. The scammer will open the pack, remove the valuable cards, and replace them with cheaper and more common cards by resealing the pack with them.
The collector has now essentially overpaid for a group of common (or even fake) Pokemon cards, and the seller has gotten away with keeping the rare cards, allowing them to do this over and over again, and resell the valuable cards on their own if they decide. The worst thing about this scam is its rate of being repeated by the same seller if they do not get reported, but more on this later.
Also Read: HOW TO OPEN POKEMON CARDS
“AR CHR” Bulk Listings with Mostly Low-Value Cards
A recent scam involves listings for large card lots (500–1,000 cards) with titles like “AR CHR about 500 pieces, etc.”. The wording makes it sound like the lot is mostly rare AR and CHR cards but that’s misleading.
Hidden in the long description (often hard to read on our site) is a note that the photo is just an example, and that lower-rarity cards like RR, U (Uncommon), or even Common cards are included.
Because there are technically a few AR/CHR cards in the lot, the seller isn’t violating the description, so refunds or claims aren’t possible.
Tips to avoid this:
-
Watch for unnatural titles (e.g., “AR CHR 500 pcs etc.”).
-
Look for phrases like:
-
“The photo is an example.”
-
“Includes RR or other cards.”
-
“No normal cards” (but still includes low-value Uncommons).
-
Use CTRL+F to search for red flags like "sample", "RR", "common", etc.
Pokemon Juice Scam
Source: Photo From Reddit
This is a very creative and new scam that has hit the Pokemon card market...
This is very similar to the Pack Resealing scam, but it takes it a step further. Instead of replacing and resealing the Pokemon card box with less rare cards, they are replaced with juice boxes, as seen in the image above.
Collectors are very unhappy with this scam, as seen by this reddit user below:
Source: Photo From Reddit
The juice boxes are placed in order to make sure the weight of the package matches what it would originally be if the cards were there. It’s essentially to make sure the package gets shipped without any suspicion.
Also Read: TOP 22 RAREST AND MOST EXPENSIVE POKEMON CARDS
How To Avoid The Juice Scam
Now that you know what the latest Juice Scam is, how do you avoid it?
Our first and best recommendation would be to use ZenMarket Photo Service. With this service, you will be able to ascertain the condition of your items before we ship them to you. Once your items arrive at our warehouse, we will help to take 3 photos of your items and send them to you via your account. You can order this service after you have paid for your items. It costs ¥500 and is completely optional.
IMPORTANT: However, also keep in mind that ZenMarket does not authenticate the products with the photo service and if your item is in bulk like 100 Pokemon Cards, we will not be able to take 100 photos of each card. And the photo service is not an insurance service that guarantees a refund for fake items purchased.
For more information on what is not included in ZenMarket's service, please read our help guide: https://zenmarket.jp/quickguide.aspx#What_does_not_ZenMarket_do
Also Read: FAKE POKEMON CARDS AUCTION AND SCAMS
Another recommendation is to make sure that the seller is reputable with a good selling history. If they have been around for a while and have made plenty of sales with great reviews, then these sellers are much less likely to pull such a scam (or any scam at all).
As always, make sure you do your due diligence when shopping online and make use of both the ZenMarket Photo Service and your own judgement on who you are buying from.
Shop Pokemon Cards Now!
What To Do If You Fall Victim To The Juice Scam
What happens if you unfortunately fall victim to the all-new Juice Scam? As horrible as it is, there are some steps you can take to make sure you are protected even after the purchase has been made.
The first thing you should do is contact ZenMarket. We take customer satisfaction and fraud sellers very seriously, and we will do our very best to investigate the situation and make sure you are left with a good experience by the end of it.
What if you used the ZenMarket Photo Service and think you got scammed? As a reminder, the Photo Service involves us sending you 3 photos of what you are ordering once it arrives at your warehouse. If we send you photos and you suspect that you are getting scammed, be sure to let us know not to ship the parcel!
Misleading Translations of “○○BOX分” Listings
A new type of misleading listing has been spotted, where sellers use the phrase “15BOX分” (meaning “the number of packs equivalent to 15 boxes”) in the title or description. In Japanese, this clearly indicates that the listing includes loose packs, not sealed boxes.
However, automatic translations often simplify this to just “15BOX”, which can mislead international buyers into thinking they are purchasing 15 unopened boxes. To reinforce this impression, the first image is usually of sealed boxes. Only one or two additional photos may show the loose packs that are actually included.
⚠️ Since the number of packs is technically correct, these listings are not considered a violation of the platform's rules, and sellers are not obligated to offer refunds or support.
Example of a misleading listing:
What You Can Do
To avoid being misled by this type of listing, always check the original Japanese description and look out for these keywords that indicate the item consists of individual packs, not boxes:
When in doubt, feel free to contact our support team before purchasing.
Also Read: ARE POKEMON CARDS CHEAPER IN JAPAN?
Lastly, be sure to spread the word on fraud sellers to make sure other collectors do not fall victim. As well, be sure to leave reviews on your experiences with any sellers that scam you as this helps protect any other future buyers as well.
By now, you should know what the latest scams are and how to avoid them, and what to do if you unfortunately get scammed. Always use your best judgment and contact ZenMarket if you suspect anything or need some help. Happy collecting!
Sign Up Now!
IMPORTANT: If you are shipping to Malaysia, there are two types of taxes that incur for trading cards.
1. Sales tax SST 10% 2. Duty tax or excise tax 10%
Please make sure that you check the customs and taxes policy for your shipping destination.