O’FALLON, MISSOURI — A popular new smartphone app is encouraging users to ‘catch em all.’ But instead of catching pokemon, some nefarious robbers in Missouri used it to lure victims instead.
KTVI reports that Pokemon Go is a new game that uses augmented reality to place pocket monsters, or pokemon, in real-world locations. Users can then catch and collect them using a smartphone and GPS signal.
The game features locations called pokestops, where users can gain or buy items.
According to the O’Fallon Police Department, one such pokestop in O’Fallon, Missouri, was used by four men to target victims. The suspects, aged 16 to 18, set up a lure module to attract pokemon. The lure is seen by other players, who flock to the area to catch the creatures. Once the player arrives at the location, the men proceed to rob them at gunpoint.
Officers spotted the four men in a black BMW around 2 a.m. on Sunday and took them into custody. They were believed to be responsible for almost a dozen robberies in two Missouri counties.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that three of the suspects have been charged with first degree robbery and armed criminal action. The fourth, a 16-year-old, is currently in juvenile custody.
