Ex-NFL linebacker turned Pokemon card seller, Blake Martinez, has been permanently banned from the Whatnot marketplace for reportedly scamming TCG collectors.
Fans of the Pokemon TCG may have heard the name Blake Martinez come up within the past year, as the former NFL linebacker made waves after selling an extremely rare Illustrator Pikachu card.
Not long after selling the card for around $600,000, Martinez formally retired from the NFL to focus on selling Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and sports trading card sets.
However, it seems Martinez may have found himself in some hot water after the social marketplace Whatnot confirmed he had been “permanently removed” from the platform.
Ex-NFL player reportedly scamming Pokemon TCG collectors
The official Whatnot Twitter account released a statement on August 4, 2023, that confirmed Martinez’s account had been permanently banned from the marketplace.
We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues. Our priority is ensuring a fair and honest experience for customers and upholding our community guidelines. After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations we have decided to…
— Whatnot (@Whatnot) August 4, 2023
The tweet said: “We really appreciate the community’s commitment to reporting trust & safety issues. Our priority is ensuring a fair and honest experience for customers and upholding our community guidelines. After a comprehensive investigation into Blakesbreaks’ operations we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform, including the individual employees involved in misconduct.”
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The first part of the statement certainly implies that multiple community members on Whatnot had reported issues with Martinez’s account, leading to an investigation and subsequent ban.
Additionally, should one visit the Blakesbreaks Whatnot account, the description reads: “This account has been permanently removed. The seller’s profile and video clips will be accessible for the next 30 days.”
We have refunded all buyers impacted by the infractions. If you believe you were affected by an incident on his streams, please submit the details here, and we will investigate: https://t.co/u1qXaCUgIF
— Whatnot (@Whatnot) August 4, 2023
Whatnot followed up with another tweet that confirmed the company had refunded all buyers affected by the “infractions” and encouraged others who were impacted to submit reports as well.
At the time of writing, Martinez has yet to address the ban or the reports of scamming. For now, Pokemon TCG collectors may want to keep an eye on the situation as it develops.