• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Wildly Popular Pokemon Go Leads to Robberies, Injuries, and a Body

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 12, 2016, 8:41 AM ET

New mobile game Pokemon Go has become an overnight sensation with U.S. fans but also played a role in armed robberies in Missouri, the discovery of a body in Wyoming, and minor injuries to fans distracted by the app, officials and news media reported Monday.

The “augmented reality” game based on the 1990s Japanese franchise surged to the top of Apple’s (AAPL) app charts over the weekend. Gamers use their mobile devices to find and capture virtual Pokemon characters such as cuddly yellow Pikachu at various real-life locations.

Five days after its release, the game now is on more Android phones than dating app Tinder, and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter (TWTR), according to analytics firm SimilarWeb.

Highlighting a dark side to its popularity, the game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, police and media reports said.

Police warned players to be vigilant when using smartphones and other mobile devices to search for characters in the game.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“When you’re involved in a game and not paying attention to what’s going on around you, your situational awareness can go down,” Greensboro, N.C., police officer Ben Wingfield told local television.

Developed by Pokemon Company International, Niantic, and Nintendo, the game uses the GPS mapping and camera systems on players’ devices.

“We encourage all people playing Pokemon Go to be aware of their surroundings and to play with friends when going to new or unfamiliar places,” Pokemon Company International and Niantic said in an emailed statement.

Police in O’Fallon, a suburb of St. Louis, said they arrested the four teens Sunday after a robbery victim called police from a convenience store.

“Using the geolocation feature of the Pokemon Go app, the robbers were able to anticipate the location and level of seclusion of unwitting victims,” O’Fallon police Sgt. Bill Stringer said in a release.

Social media buzzed with reports of players who suffered minor injuries from tripping and falling while glued to their cell phones and minor incidents while driving and looking for Pokemon.

“I catch myself almost walking into things, so I’ve kind of started playing a little bit less in the street,” said Henry Mendez, 32, a parking valet from Los Angeles.

The game was the most downloaded free app on Apple’s app store while Nintendo’s shares surged nearly 25% for their biggest daily gains in history after Pokemon Go’s takeoff.

Shayla Wiggins, 19, was searching for a water-based Pokemon character near Riverton, Wy., when she discovered a body near a bridge, where a man is thought to have drowned in shallow water, according to media reports.

“I probably would have never went down there if it weren’t for this game,” Wiggins told CNN.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Elizabeth Kelly
CommentaryNon-Profit
At Anthropic, we believe that AI can increase nonprofit capacity. And we’ve worked with over 100 organizations so far on getting it right
By Elizabeth KellyDecember 2, 2025
1 hour ago
Espinoza
AIColleges and Universities
After mass AI college-cheating freakout, many admissions offices are using it to screen student applications
By Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
2 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
The startup betting AI can unlock a new era of ‘found money’ for enterprises
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 2, 2025
3 hours ago
InvestingMicrostrategy
Tech stocks linked to Bitcoin take a battering as crypto traders brace for Strategy to breach danger threshold
By Jim EdwardsDecember 2, 2025
3 hours ago
InnovationBrainstorm Design
The tech world should abandon minimalist design in favor of more ‘expressive’ options says Samsung’s first Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini
By Angelica AngDecember 2, 2025
4 hours ago
Apple CEO Tim Cook (left), Apple SVP of machine learning and AI strategy John Giannandrea (center), and Apple SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi on June 10, 2024 in Cupertino, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea heads for the exits
By Andrew NuscaDecember 2, 2025
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Forget the four-day workweek, Elon Musk predicts you won't have to work at all in ‘less than 20 years'
By Jessica CoacciDecember 1, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Warren Buffett used to give his family $10,000 each at Christmas—but when he saw how fast they were spending it, he started buying them shares instead
By Eleanor PringleDecember 2, 2025
4 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Innovation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 1, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Elon Musk, fresh off securing a $1 trillion pay package, says philanthropy is 'very hard'
By Sydney LakeDecember 1, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of December 1, 2025
By Danny BakstDecember 1, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.