FRAUD & FORGERY ON THE RISE

Pre-pandemic, FBI Special Agent Brian Brusokas would receive a call once every month or two relating to fraudulent activity within the sports memorabilia and trading card industry.

Since the hobby’s explosion the past couple years, generally a week doesn’t go by that someone in the FBI’s Chicago Division or from an outside law enforcement agency contacts Brusokas about a hobby-related case.

Brusokas, who is known in FBI circles as the lead agent when it comes to sports memorabilia and trading card fraud and forgeries, has certainly seen an uptick in crime as the industry has ramped up a few notches.

“The past two years, let’s say during the COVID crisis, has really, really impacted the hobby in both good and bad ways,” Brusokas told Sports Collectors