Robbers used ‘Pokémon Go’ to lure their victims
Pokémon Go is introducing many people to location-based gaming… and unfortunately, that includes the potential pitfalls as well. Police in O’Fallon, Missouri report that robbers used the mobile augmented reality title to reel in victims. Based on the description, it’s most likely that the crooks placed a lure at a Pokéstop (a location where you collect items) and waited for players to show up, becoming unwitting targets in the process. While the police caught the robbers, their advice holds true — be careful before you give strangers a clue as to where you’re going.
The kicker: the incident is just the latest in a string of odd (though not entirely unexpected) events in the days since Pokémon Go launched. A young woman discovered a dead body after taking a walk by the river to catch Pokémon, and authorities have had to warn gamers against trying to enter police stations just to play. While these are all testaments to the game’s sheer popularity, it’s also safe to say that Nintendo and Niantic weren’t entirely prepared for the consequences of encouraging so many players to hit the streets.
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