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The PSA FedEx truck theft: timeline and news

On Oct 13, 2026, a FedEx truck carrying PSA orders was broken into near PSA's facility in Santa Ana, California. PSA has since deactivated 6,451 certs. This page follows the case as it moves, with a source for every line.

Updated 15 dated events101 reports tracked

Case status

As of

Status
Open. Santa Ana police and the FBI are investigating.

SourcePSA (opens in a new tab)

Arrests
None announced, and no recovered cards reported.

SourcesPSA (opens in a new tab)Fortune (opens in a new tab)

Certs pulled
6,451 deactivated by PSA, all listed.

SourcePSA's list (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

Official value
At least $963,000, PSA's estimate to police for two of three pallets.

SourceThe Athletic (opens in a new tab)

Owners
Grading fees refunded. Paid at fair market value, capped at each item's Maximum Insured Value. Payments are going out on orders shipped on PSA's label. What affected customers should know

SourcePSA (opens in a new tab)

Case open. FBI investigating. 6,451 certs deactivated. Check before you buy

Case timeline

Every dated turn in the case, oldest first, with the reports behind it. Dates are US Pacific.

  1. Day 1

    1. A FedEx truck carrying PSA orders is broken into near PSA's shipping and receiving entrance in Santa Ana, California. Police later say two pallets were taken and a third was disturbed. PSA reports the theft to police the same day.

      SourcesThe Athletic (opens in a new tab)NBC Los Angeles (opens in a new tab)AP via ABC News (opens in a new tab)

      STOLEN10.13.26
  2. Day 4

    1. SKY-B's order shipped on Oct 13 for next-day delivery. By Friday it still had not come, and PSA told him to file a lost-item form, Fortune reports.

      SourceFortune (opens in a new tab)

  3. Day 5

    1. The email says a FedEx vehicle "transporting PSA orders was burglarized", that the stolen certs were deactivated and selling platforms told, and that compensation would be "based on fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value". Customers post it, and the story goes public.

      SourcesPSA's email, posted by SKY-B (opens in a new tab)SKY-B on X (opens in a new tab)Fortune (opens in a new tab)

      DECERTIFIED10.17.26
  4. Day 6

    1. Boston Card Hunter (Nick Andrews) shares a crowdsourced sheet of 383 serialized cards reported stolen, and CheckCOA flags every cert on it. Hobby outlets begin covering the theft.

      SourcesBoston Card Hunter on X (opens in a new tab)CheckCOA on X (opens in a new tab)Heavy (opens in a new tab)Dexerto (opens in a new tab)

  5. Day 7

    1. Collectors confirms "a theft involving a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items", says the certs are deactivated and marketplaces alerted, and promises compensation based on fair market value. A PSA spokesperson tells NBC that grading fees will be returned as well.

      SourcesCollectors (opens in a new tab)NBC Los Angeles (opens in a new tab)

    2. Santa Ana police tell The Athletic that about 100 packages were on each of two pallets, and about 50 more were taken from a third. PSA's estimate given to police is about $963,000 for the two full pallets. Police say the exact value "has not yet been determined".

      SourcesThe Athletic (opens in a new tab)NBC Los Angeles (opens in a new tab)CBS Los Angeles (opens in a new tab)

    3. SKY-B tells CBS Los Angeles that some offers were reportedly "insultingly low", and Boston Card Hunter posts one victim's offer and reply. These are the victims' own accounts. No outlet has documented a final payout.

      SourcesCBS Los Angeles (opens in a new tab)Boston Card Hunter on X (opens in a new tab)DraftKings Network (opens in a new tab)

  6. Day 8

    1. SAPD spokesperson Natalie Garcia tells the AP the driver left the truck unattended and that "How long the driver was gone is part of the investigation". The truck's lock was gone. As of Oct 20, she says, nobody has been arrested and nothing has been recovered.

      SourcesAP via ABC News (opens in a new tab)Latin Times (opens in a new tab)

    2. FedEx spokesperson David Westrick says "The security of our customers' shipments is a top priority" and that FedEx is cooperating with law enforcement. FedEx refers other questions to police.

      SourcesAP via ABC News (opens in a new tab)Newsweek (opens in a new tab)

  7. Day 9

    1. Police tell FreightWaves that reports of the driver being away for 60 to 90 minutes are inaccurate, and that the driver was gone only a short time. Investigators are still taking inventory on site, including whether the cards were inbound or outbound.

      SourceFreightWaves (opens in a new tab)

    2. Fortune reports that SKY-B's cards were capped at $1,500 each and $156,000 in total under PSA's Maximum Insured Value, even though PSA's own estimates put some of them higher.

      SourcesFortune (opens in a new tab)PSA coverage policy (opens in a new tab)

    3. Boston Card Hunter says he has obtained the police dispatch report, "HEAVILY redacted", and walks through it on video the next day. We have not reviewed the video.

      SourcesBoston Card Hunter on X (opens in a new tab)Boston Card Hunter on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

  8. Day 11

    1. PSA's update, "Stolen PSA Orders: What We're Doing and How You Can Help", publishes the complete list. Every cert on it is deactivated and shared with marketplaces, auction houses and online selling platforms.

      SourcesPSA (opens in a new tab)PSA's list (PDF) (opens in a new tab)PSA on X (opens in a new tab)

    2. PSA says the Santa Ana Police Department and the FBI are investigating, and that it gave them video footage, shipment manifests and item-level records. PSA calls the investigation ongoing. No arrest or recovery has been announced.

      SourcePSA (opens in a new tab)

    3. PSA says it has refunded all grading fees on affected orders and is paying fair market value, up to each item's Maximum Insured Value, without waiting for the investigation. Payments are going out on orders that shipped on PSA's return label. Orders on a customer's own label are handled one by one, and dealer submissions go through the dealer. If an item turns up later, its owner can keep the money or take the item back.

      SourcesPSA (opens in a new tab)PSA coverage policy (opens in a new tab)

What we know, and what we don't

Police and PSA have said little on the record. Here is what is settled, what is still disputed, and what is only a claim.

Confirmed 7

Said by police or PSA on the record.

Reported 5

In the news, but disputed or not settled.

Unverified 5

Claims nobody official has backed, or that the record contradicts.

Key numbers to cite

For reporters and anyone writing about the theft: each figure, a sentence that states it correctly, and where it comes from.

Figures as of , rebuilt with the site.

6,451

PSA deactivated 6,451 cert numbers after the theft and published them as its list of stolen items. 14 of them are no-grade vouchers with no card details; the rest are graded cards.

SourcesPSA (opens in a new tab)PSA's list (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

3,916

Those certs cover 3,916 different cards, one for each description on PSA's list, as counted by SlabHeist.

DetailsThe Haul

$963,000

PSA's estimate given to police is about $963,000, and it covers only two of the three pallets, so the loss is at least that. Police say the full value has not been determined.

SourcesThe Athletic (opens in a new tab)AP via ABC News (opens in a new tab)

2,125 of 3,916

SlabHeist has estimated values for 2,125 of the 3,916 cards from cited public sales, checked October 24, 2026. They cover 66% of the stolen slabs.

DetailsHow SlabHeist prices cards

$2.3M to $15M

The priced slabs come to about $2.3M if every copy is a PSA 8 and $15M if every copy is a PSA 10. PSA's list gives no grades, and most cards are not priced yet, so this is not a total for the theft.

DetailsThe Haul

0

No arrest or recovery had been announced as of October 23, 2026. The FBI and Santa Ana police are investigating.

SourcesPSA (opens in a new tab)Fortune (opens in a new tab)

Reusing a chart, a page's share image or the video summary? Credit it "Data: SlabHeist.com, from PSA's list". Reuse terms

What people are saying

The hobby's conversation in our words, from 22 posts, videos and reports. Claims stay with the people who made them, and each one links to where it was said.

Will owners be paid what their cards are worth?

This is the loudest thread. PSA pays the lower of fair market value or the Maximum Insured Value chosen when the cards were sent in, so a card that turned out to be worth more than its insured tier can be capped below what its owner expected. Victims say early offers came in low. PSA says its values come from comparable sales, auction results, grades and population reports, and it refunds grading fees on top.

  • News report

    SKY-Bto CBS Los Angeles

    Some offers were reportedly "insultingly low".

  • Reddit thread

    An r/psagrading threadon Reddit

    Urges victims not to accept offers yet and to coordinate, saying the offers shared so far look far below reasonable expectations.

    Read the thread (opens in a new tab)Their claimWe could read only the title. Date estimated.
  • YouTube video

    Card Counselon YouTube

    A lawyer explains why a victim's claim runs against PSA rather than FedEx, and how the "lesser of fair market value or Maximum Insured Value" rule works.

    Watch (opens in a new tab)Per the video's description.
  • YouTube video

    LuckyRantson YouTube

    Says the theft was not really PSA's fault, but calls the offers PSA sent victims "insane".

    Watch (opens in a new tab)Their claimPer the video's description.
  • Official statement

    PSAin its Oct 23 update

    Fair market value comes from comparable sales, auction results, grades and population reports. For rare items with few recent sales, PSA looks at a wider range of history.

Who should have stopped it?

Collectors split on where the fault lies. Some ask why PSA sent high-value returns by ordinary carrier. Others point at the carrier, or at the PSA name on the box. FedEx has said only that shipment security is a top priority and that it is working with police.

  • Post on X

    Darren Rovellon X

    Argues the biggest threats are inside jobs and third-party carriers, and that "PSA or Collectors in the address box is the threat". He wants PSA and a preferred carrier to add security and proper transit insurance.

  • YouTube video

    Dan The Card Manon YouTube

    Asks whether PSA should use more secure shipping for valuable cards, and whether collectors will be paid fairly.

    Watch (opens in a new tab)Per the video's description.
  • YouTube video

    Spitballin' Cardson YouTube

    Debates who is at fault and whether PSA should pay above insured values.

    Watch (opens in a new tab)Per the video's description.
  • News report

    ICv2trade press

    Notes social posts calling for PSA to stop using FedEx.

How much was really taken?

The guesses ran ahead of the facts. Video titles promised millions before police gave any figure. The one official number is PSA's estimate of about $963,000 for two of the three pallets, and police say the full value is not yet known. Police counted about 250 packages and PSA lists 6,451 items; one package can hold many cards, so both can be right.

  • YouTube video

    The Card Scienceon YouTube

    Titled its video "MILLIONS stolen" and "Thousands of cards GONE" before police or PSA had given any figures.

  • Post on X

    Tortugoon X

    Says a single One Piece card on the truck was worth $500,000 and puts the whole load at "mid 7 digits". PSA's list does not show the card he describes.

  • News report

    Nick Andrews (Boston Card Hunter)to the AP

    "Thousands of cards, most likely, and millions of dollars, most likely", based on talks with about two dozen victims.

  • YouTube video

    Junk Wax Heroon YouTube

    Argues that with so many unknowns, the theft is probably bigger than reported.

Can a stolen slab be traced?

Deactivating a cert flags the slab, not the card inside it. A thief can crack the card out and sell it raw, or send it in again for a new cert, and cards without serial numbers are the hardest to trace. That is why so much of the talk is about checking every cert before buying.

  • Post on X

    PokeTCGAlerts replieson X

    Replies to the post worry that thieves will simply crack the slabs and regrade the cards.

  • Post on X

    CheckCOAon X

    Points out that a plain "deactivated" result does not tell a buyer why, so its scans now name the theft and tell the holder to contact PSA.

  • News report

    Mantelvia Yahoo Sports

    Tells buyers to check every slab's cert. Stolen certs show as decertified at psacard.com/cert.

  • News report

    A Mantel writeron an earlier theft

    One of his own stolen PSA 10s later turned up as a hit in a repack, and another sold on Whatnot after its cert had been deactivated.

The people who lost cards

Owners were spread from Michigan to England, and the theft stayed private until they began posting PSA's email on Oct 17. The values below are their own, as reported.

  • YouTube video

    SKY-Bon YouTube

    Lost a 104-card order he built over two years, many of them one-of-ones or case hits, and puts it at over $100,000.

  • Reddit thread

    A collectoron r/psagrading

    Says their PSA 9 Smaug the Magnificent Gleaming Gold (Magic) was on the truck after they handed it to PSA at a Miami show. PSA's list includes that card (cert 179183951).

    Read the thread (opens in a new tab)Their claimWe could not open Reddit; reported by Dexerto. Date estimated.
  • Post on X

    Seth Phiferon X

    Says five of his cards were on the truck and values them at $70,000. DraftKings Network notes that is his valuation, not a PSA offer.

  • News report

    A collector in Englandto NBC Los Angeles

    Says his card, which he values at $48,000, was on the truck.

  • Post on X

    PokeSignalson X

    Says its latest Pokémon submission was on the truck, its certs are already deactivated, and asks PSA and FedEx to "do the right thing".

Every report we tracked

101 articles, videos, posts and statements, newest first. The summaries are ours; follow the link for the original. Where we could not open a source, we say so.

Show coverage by type

Showing 101 items.

  1. Fri

  2. Thu

  3. Wed

  4. Tue

  5. Mon

  6. Sun

  7. Sat

    • PSA (customer email, shared by @SKYBCards on X)Official

      PSA email to affected customers (opens in a new tab)

      Screenshots of PSA's email say a FedEx vehicle carrying PSA orders was burglarized after leaving PSA's Southern California facility, that the certs were deactivated and selling platforms told, and that PSA was working with FedEx and police. It promised compensation 'based on fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value' per item, with more details the next week. SKY-B tagged @natsturner and said he feared PSA would be 'extremely unfair' on values.

    • Reddit r/psagrading (u/Bigchocolatecakey)Community

      Fedex truck was robbed and my Smaug The Magnificent was stolen! (opens in a new tab)

      The owner said a PSA 9 Smaug the Magnificent Gleaming Gold (Magic) was on the truck, after handing it to PSA in person at a Miami show to avoid the mail, and PSA's Oct 23 list does include that card. Star City Games counted 350+ comments within three days, and Dexerto noted commenters claiming a Yu-Gi-Oh! card numbered 95/100 and a Pikachu. The date is estimated from Star City Games' 'three days' remark, and we could not open Reddit directly.

      Date estimatedSource could not be opened directly

    • X (@SKYBCards)Community

      PSA just emailed me letting me know that FedEx STOLE my 104 card submission. Over $100,000 in cards just gone... (opens in a new tab)

      The first widely shared public report of the theft. YouTuber SKY-B said PSA had emailed him that his 104-card submission was stolen and put the loss at over $100,000. The post showed 1.9 million views when we checked it on Oct 23.

    • YouTube (NEO Cards & Comics)Video

      PSA Heist? Multiple Orders Reportedly Stolen From FedEx Truck (opens in a new tab)

      One of the first creator videos, posted the same day as SKY-B's post. Per its description, it covers the customer accounts, the shipping timeline, and what fair market value and Maximum Insured Value could mean for payouts. About 14,000 views by Oct 23.

  8. Before Oct 13Earlier thefts

Updates and next steps

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