The new augmented reality game Pokemon GO has gotten people off the couch and into the real world. But police in O’Fallon, Missouri say that four men have used the game to find players at a specific location, and robbed them using a handgun.
Image: Associated Press
About eight or nine people have been robbed by four men over the past couple of days, a spokesperson from the O’Fallon Police Department told Gizmodo over the phone. The latest robbery occurred Sunday morning at around 2am by the men in a black BMW before they were finally apprehended by police.
The suspects used the Pokemon Go game to find their victims by anticipating where people might go through popular PokeStops — virtual sites in the game that can be designated at any real word location, from businesses to parking lots to churches.
The four men who were apprehended all range in age from 16 to 18. Their names and what they stole from their victims have not been released.
The O’Fallon Police Department advises that if you’re going to let your kids play Pokemon Go, make sure you keep an eye on where they’re hanging out.
Comments
9 responses to “Armed Robbers Use Pokémon Go To Find 9 Victims”
Genius idea since you know they are nerds.
so you are confessing that you are in fact a nerd and would like to get robbed by supposed genius’?
you did say you were going to give up dentistry, kill your family and be a pokemaster remember?
Murica
i rocked up to a pokestop at 930 last night while waiting for some stuff to be dried in a laundromat. drove in and there were 6 youths hanging about with phones out. i rolled up next to them with the window down and gave em
“you got any pokemon?’
then we laughed and i joined them for a bit. then their friends rocked up in a car to join. then they left. so far all my interactions have been positive. but i dont doubt some douche will do the same here in Aus.
Bloody hell, your brave.
If i tried that in my area I will be catching pokemans from my private hospital room if im lucky
dont get me wrong, i wouldnt do that sort of thing in all the areas near where i live.
the suburb im in is middle to upper class.
So Team Rocket?
whats the difference in doing this than just holding up random people anywhere?
Bait
wont be long until theres armed poke’robbery.
“gimme yo charizard fool”
i wish we werent such a douchey human race sometimes 🙁
Prepare for trouble…