Armed Robbers use Pokemon Go to lure players into a trap

Tiller · July 2016

What else will criminals use this for? It's slowly not becoming fun anymore for a lot of people.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/10/12142434/pokemon-go-armed-robberies-missouri
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/10/pokemon-go-armed-robbers-dead-body

Koboli · July 2016

It's nice to see smart people using new technology to accomplish innovative things.

Tiller · July 2016

Koboli said:

It's nice to see smart people using new technology to accomplish innovative things.

Is it really cool? So you would be cool with being robbed at gun point by some thugs not knowing if they would just open your chest up with hollow point when you refused to give them your possessions? k

waynejr2 · July 2016

Tiller said:

Koboli said:

It's nice to see smart people using new technology to accomplish innovative things.

Is it really cool? So you would be cool with being robbed at gun point by some thugs not knowing if they would just open your chest up with hollow point when you refused to give them your possessions? k

Can't live your life in fear.

Koboli · July 2016

Tiller said:

Koboli said:

It's nice to see smart people using new technology to accomplish innovative things.

Is it really cool? So you would be cool with being robbed at gun point by some thugs not knowing if they would just open your chest up with hollow point when you refused to give them your possessions? k

Tut tut. You assume that I would ever place myself in that situation by allowing someone else to lure me somewhere. Those of us familiar with internet trends could see abuse like this coming from miles off - it's not our fault that the predictably foolish are being taken advantage of.

But as to your specific question, no, I wouldn't be fine with me being robbed, but I am perfectly okay with others suffering that fate. My heart doesn't bleed for complete strangers, particularly ones doing something so utterly stupid in the first place.

Tiamat64 · July 2016

Koboli said:

Tiller said:

Koboli said:

It's nice to see smart people using new technology to accomplish innovative things.

Is it really cool? So you would be cool with being robbed at gun point by some thugs not knowing if they would just open your chest up with hollow point when you refused to give them your possessions? k

Tut tut. You assume that I would ever place myself in that situation by allowing someone else to lure me somewhere. Those of us familiar with internet trends could see abuse like this coming from miles off - it's not our fault that the predictably foolish are being taken advantage of.

But as to your specific question, no, I wouldn't be fine with me being robbed, but I am perfectly okay with others suffering that fate. My heart doesn't bleed for complete strangers, particularly ones doing something so utterly stupid in the first place.

The most utterly stupid ones were the robbers, actually. I mean, seriously, think about it.

They used themselves as a beacon to lure other people to them.

THEY, THE ROBBERS, USED THEMSELVES AS A BEACON.

There's a reason they were caught and arrested.

Onigod · July 2016

Koboli said:

Tiller said:

Koboli said:

It's nice to see smart people using new technology to accomplish innovative things.

Is it really cool? So you would be cool with being robbed at gun point by some thugs not knowing if they would just open your chest up with hollow point when you refused to give them your possessions? k

Tut tut. You assume that I would ever place myself in that situation by allowing someone else to lure me somewhere. Those of us familiar with internet trends could see abuse like this coming from miles off - it's not our fault that the predictably foolish are being taken advantage of.

But as to your specific question, no, I wouldn't be fine with me being robbed, but I am perfectly okay with others suffering that fate. My heart doesn't bleed for complete strangers, particularly ones doing something so utterly stupid in the first place.

You know that, I know that but do little kids that love pokemon and use this app know that the pokemon spot could also have a old man parked with a van nearby?

Than you can argue parents should not let their kids use it blablabla whatever excuses there are kids will use it if they are allowed to or not, It wouldnt shock me seeing a news article about some guy catching a little boy or girl instead of pokemon, my 8 year old niece is very smart when it comes to phone/ipad apps and would have no issue at all using all of its functions, most kids are growing up with shitty mobile games nowadays.

Horusra · July 2016

Vrika · July 2016

I don't think that's really a problem.

Data from 2010 shows that there was 1 robbery per 840 people in United States. If we assume 10 million Pokemon Go players in USA, more than 30 of them are robbed every day whether they play Pokemon Go or not.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/violent-crime/robberymain

mbrodie · July 2016

i was at a big shopping center today, there was pokestops galore and basically every one of them had a lure attached to it.. it was amazing and thankfully i didn't get robbed at gunpoint, i did however pick up a few new pokemon and almost got a rhydon but it poofed on me

yes it's a shame, robbers rob people, regardless of how they do it they still will

people are going to commit crime regardless of this game, so i mean i'm gonna choose not to live my life in fear and stay in my house where it's safe, I also have a child and we hunt pokemon together, he's 5 and he understands not to play it without me or his mother present. I know these kids were teenagers and no teenager listens to their parents but we can't play the blame game on a game for this shit happening because regardless of pokemon go people would still get robbed, adbducted, hurt themselves doing things they shouldnt...

it's just easier to blame a game i guess.

mbrodie · July 2016

DMKano said:

Vrika said:

I don't think that's really a problem.

Data from 2010 shows that there was 1 robbery per 840 people in United States. If we assume 10 million Pokemon Go players in USA, more than 30 of them are robbed every day whether they play Pokemon Go or not.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/violent-crime/robberymain

While true this is sort of a moot statistic.

Pokemon Go can be used to lure people in, and that alone is the problem.

But anything that has a feature of getting people to go to a remote location can be used in such a way.

The fact that people are looking at their phones instead of paying attention at their surroundings doesn't help much either.

So one could easily say that Pokemon Go will contribute to more people getting mugged.

pokemon go plus releases soon and that should alleviate a lot of the problems people are having with lack of situational awareness

GeezerGamer · July 2016

Why don't people register their numbers on a list, then send a txt message to the police with their GPS location, and say they will be robbing people at gunpoint.

Oh wait!!!!!

mbrodie · July 2016

in fact what about the thousands of other people who may have been involved in a violent crime today that we don't know about because they weren't playing pokemon go so thats not trendy news to report.

i mean it's kind of double standards, what are we saying here, we should be happy that in the whole world only 11 robberies were committed today against teenagers?

No, the reason we know these robberies happened is because pokemon go is trending and it's good click bait and headlining stuff because it's almost got more active daily logins that twitter and thats a big deal.

let's not remain ignorant to all the rest of the armed robberies, assaults, sexual assaults, murders, fatal car accidents, domestic abuse etc.... that happened today that pokemon go didn't have anything to do with.

Right?

omera51 · July 2016

More useful application for Pokemon GO. Pokemon sucks anyway. I stopped thinking it was cool when I was 8

Messiah78 · July 2016

Zombie phone users.

mbrodie · July 2016

DMKano said:

mbrodie said:

i was at a big shopping center today, there was pokestops galore and basically every one of them had a lure attached to it.. it was amazing and thankfully i didn't get robbed at gunpoint, i did however pick up a few new pokemon and almost got a rhydon but it poofed on me

yes it's a shame, robbers rob people, regardless of how they do it they still will

people are going to commit crime regardless of this game, so i mean i'm gonna choose not to live my life in fear and stay in my house where it's safe, I also have a child and we hunt pokemon together, he's 5 and he understands not to play it without me or his mother present. I know these kids were teenagers and no teenager listens to their parents but we can't play the blame game on a game for this shit happening because regardless of pokemon go people would still get robbed, adbducted, hurt themselves doing things they shouldnt...

it's just easier to blame a game i guess.

Yes it will happen regardless.

But people who do anything irresponsibility (going to a remote park at 1 am because of a game beacon) and then looking down at their phones instead of what's around them - they will certainly not help the problem.

see i agree with you, user responsibility is the bigger issue at play here and pokemon go will end up with the blame regardless... hopefully these incidents happen to the few and people get smarter. thats all i can say

mbrodie · July 2016

DMKano said:

mbrodie said:

DMKano said:

mbrodie said:

i was at a big shopping center today, there was pokestops galore and basically every one of them had a lure attached to it.. it was amazing and thankfully i didn't get robbed at gunpoint, i did however pick up a few new pokemon and almost got a rhydon but it poofed on me

yes it's a shame, robbers rob people, regardless of how they do it they still will

people are going to commit crime regardless of this game, so i mean i'm gonna choose not to live my life in fear and stay in my house where it's safe, I also have a child and we hunt pokemon together, he's 5 and he understands not to play it without me or his mother present. I know these kids were teenagers and no teenager listens to their parents but we can't play the blame game on a game for this shit happening because regardless of pokemon go people would still get robbed, adbducted, hurt themselves doing things they shouldnt...

it's just easier to blame a game i guess.

Yes it will happen regardless.

But people who do anything irresponsibility (going to a remote park at 1 am because of a game beacon) and then looking down at their phones instead of what's around them - they will certainly not help the problem.

see i agree with you, user responsibility is the bigger issue at play here and pokemon go will end up with the blame regardless... hopefully these incidents happen to the few and people get smarter. thats all i can say

That big splash screen when you first start the game about being aware of your surroundings and playing responsibility is there for a reason.

sure is.... so you don't walk into a gyrados obviously :P

Dragnelus · July 2016

DMKano said:

Vrika said:

I don't think that's really a problem.

Data from 2010 shows that there was 1 robbery per 840 people in United States. If we assume 10 million Pokemon Go players in USA, more than 30 of them are robbed every day whether they play Pokemon Go or not.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/violent-crime/robberymain

While true this is sort of a moot statistic.

Pokemon Go can be used to lure people in, and that alone is the problem.

But anything that has a feature of getting people to go to a remote location can be used in such a way.

The fact that people are looking at their phones instead of paying attention at their surroundings doesn't help much either.

So one could easily say that Pokemon Go will contribute to more people getting mugged.