Even in the colourful, manga-cartoon world of Pokemon Go there is a dark criminal underbelly. The augmented-reality mobile game has been an instant hit, with gamers of all ages getting involved in the hunt for the creatures in real-world locations.
However, it appears the line between reality and the digital world has become hard to discern for some people, with gamers risking their lives in their cars or on skateboards while playing the game, among other ridiculous reports. Police in O'Fallon, Missouri say that four men have even used the game to find players at a specific location, and robbed them using a handgun.
According to the tech website Gizmodo, up to 9 people were robbed by four men over the past couple of days. The latest of the robberies happened on Sunday night (NZT) by men in a black BMW before they were finally apprehended by police.
According to reports, 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-world location, from businesses to parking to churches.
The four men who were apprehended all range in age from 16 to 18. The O'Fallon Police Department advised that if you're going to let your kids play Pokemon Go, make sure you keep an eye on where they're hanging out.
