Armed robbers ‘lure’ victims via Pokemon Go geolocation tool
Pokemon Go players have become the target of a spate of armed robberies in the US after suspects usurped the geolocation tool in Pokemon Go to lure unwitting victims straight to them, rather than go the trouble of finding targets themselves.
Oblivious players use the popular mobile app to snare a menagerie of fantastical creatures which are peppered around the real world but this functionality has been hijacked by the criminal fraternity to lure the naïve to secluded car parks to be robbed.
This involved simply establishing a ‘beacon’ in an isolated location indicating a high value game character was present and then sitting back to wait for victims to take the bait.
Missouri police warned in a statement: “Seeing a Pikachu on the sidewalk in front of you is a fan’s digital dream come true.
“If you use this app (or other similar type apps) or have children that do we ask you to please use caution when alerting strangers of your future location.”
The Pokemon Go craze has led to a number of real world difficulties for players, including some who were hospitalised after chasing virtual creatures into walls and vehicles and even led to one puzzled home owner's house being invaded by players after it was mistakenly labeled as a public place.