New Westminster game store hit by suspected serial fraudster seeking Pokémon cards

The owners of another Lower Mainland game store are speaking out about being targeted for their Pokémon card collection after months of apparent inaction, despite providing police with ample evidence.

Rain City Games co-owner Channing Guenther says CCTV captured a suspected fraudster entering the store on Quayside Drive three times last summer, but says the man wasn’t there to steal merchandise directly.

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“In our situation, we were the victims of online fraud. We were selling, at that point, Pokémon cards online,” Guenther explained.

He alleges that the suspect used five stolen credit card numbers to place five orders for similar products.

“To pick up those orders, he had to show the order on his phone and he also had to show ID that matched the names on those credit cards, which he had. So he forged five identifications.… It was north of about $1,000 [to] $1,100 worth of stuff.”

As a courtesy, Rain City Games sent a photo to another local game store, where one of the employees recognized the suspect.

Despite doing their own investigation and providing the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) with security footage, the owners say they were met with a lack of action from police.

“On Day 1 we figured out who this individual was, and we provided that information to the cops, and it was a cut-and-dried, slam-dunk, gift-wrapped case. They could have arrested him. To this day, I don’t think this individual knows that we know he did this. I don’t think the cops have ever followed up on him. He could still be doing — he probably still is doing this.”

Earlier this month, groups of thieves broke into a Burnaby store and another New Westminster store that sell Pokémon cards. In the latter, the thieves stole upwards of $10,000 in merchandise.

In Edmonton, police investigated break-and-enters at 11 trading card shops late last year.

In a statement to CityNews, the NWPD says the Rain City Games investigation is progressing and thanked Guenther for his assistance.

Meanwhile, his business has had to bear the full cost of the loss. He says the store also spent around $10,000 to upgrade its security system.

With police still failing to name a suspect in the investigation, Guenther has been left with only questions.

“Why did we spend that money, if it doesn’t matter — if they’re not going to actually do what we expect them to do?”