Nearly $1 Million in PSA-Graded Cards Stolen From FedEx Truck in Santa Ana
News · October 19, 2026
Thieves stole an estimated $963,000 worth of graded trading cards from a FedEx truck parked near the California headquarters of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), according to the Santa Ana Police Department. The cards had already been graded and were on their way back to their owners. As of October 19, 2026, police say no one has been arrested and nothing has been recovered.
What happened
Santa Ana police say officers were called to PSA's headquarters in the 1600 block of East St. Andrew Place on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, after a report of a theft from a FedEx truck. Police said two pallets of cards were stolen and a third pallet was "disrupted." The pallets held a mix of trading cards, including sports and Pokémon cards.
The Athletic, as summarized by Heavy, reported that the truck was parked near PSA's shipping and receiving location and that the driver was away from it for 60 to 90 minutes. During that time someone broke the truck's lock and removed the packages. According to that report, each stolen pallet held about 100 packages, and about 50 more were taken from the third pallet, roughly 250 packages in all. Authorities have not said how many individual cards were inside, and have not said whether the theft was targeted.
How much was taken
Police described $963,000 as the estimated value "at the time," and said the exact figure could not be determined until the remaining boxes were scanned. A police spokesperson told NBC News the value could rise. Treat any larger figure circulating online as unconfirmed.
Collectors have been building their own lists of cards they say were in the stolen packages. NBC News reported that one community list had reached 383 cards by Monday evening, October 19. Those lists come from the hobby community, not from police or PSA, and haven't been independently verified.
What PSA and FedEx have said
PSA said it is working closely with law enforcement and the carrier. In statements given to CBS Los Angeles, NBC News and Heavy, a PSA spokesperson said: "We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items. Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly and is arranging compensation based on fair market value." A PSA spokesperson also told NBC News that grading fees would be refunded along with the fair market value of the cards.
FedEx told CBS Los Angeles and NBC News: "The security of our customers' shipments is a top priority, and we are working with local law enforcement in their investigation."
What's still unclear
- The date. Police give October 13. Some early social media summaries put it at October 17–18, which doesn't match the police account.
- The final value. The $963,000 estimate is preliminary.
- How payouts work. PSA says it will pay fair market value. Some affected collectors online say they expect payouts to be capped by the insured value of their orders, and NBC News quoted one collector who said his cards were insured for less than he believes they are worth. How PSA will settle individual claims hasn't been made public.
What it means if you buy PSA slabs
Deactivated certificates are the main protection here. Before buying a high-value PSA slab, especially a rare or serialized card, look up the cert number on PSA's site and make sure the result matches the card in the photos. Be careful with sellers who won't show the cert number or the back of the slab. A card taken out of its holder loses its cert link, so raw, unserialized cards from the theft would be much harder to trace. For more on spotting problem cards, see our guide to trimmed or altered cards.
What collectors shipping to PSA should do
The theft happened on the return trip, after PSA had the cards, but it's a good reminder to check how your cards are covered each way. Based on PSA's posted policies:
- Set Max Insured Value above what the card is worth. PSA's terms say Max Insured Value (called "Declared Value" on some forms) is the most you can be paid if an item is lost or damaged while PSA has it. Coverage is the lesser of fair market value and that limit, so pick a service level with a Max Insured Value above your estimate of the card's graded value.
- Know when coverage starts. PSA's coverage page says PSA does not insure inbound packages. Its coverage begins once PSA confirms the item arrived and lasts until the item reaches its next destination, such as back to you or the PSA Vault.
- Buy inbound insurance. PSA says that if you pick FedEx at checkout you can add inbound insurance from its partner Cabrella. Cabrella claims are filed through Cabrella's PSA claims page. Without it or another third-party policy, your cards aren't covered on the way to PSA, and PSA's terms say you carry that risk even if PSA provided the label.
- Keep proof of value. Cabrella says value is generally based on the declared value supported by the original bill of sale or invoice, and price guides or appraisals may be used if that's missing. Save receipts and recent sold comps.
- Pack to PSA's shipping guide. PSA's terms say it isn't liable for damage caused by packing that doesn't follow its shipping guide.
- Track every package and act quickly. Watch tracking both ways. If a return shipment stalls or goes missing, contact PSA customer service right away with your order number, and keep copies of every email.
If you're still deciding whether a card is worth sending in, see Is It Worth Grading Your Sports Card? and our grading company comparison.
This is a developing story. We'll update it if police, PSA or FedEx release new information.
Sources: CBS Los Angeles, NBC News, Heavy (citing The Athletic), IGN, Sports Illustrated, PSA Coverage, PSA Terms and Conditions, Cabrella PSA claims.