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

Trendingnow

1

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

2

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

1

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

2

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch
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
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

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
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 2026 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.