No, Pokemon Go is not charging users; police warn of email scam
Burlington, Duxbury, and Wilmington police departments shared a warning Wednesday by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) regarding a Pokemon Go email phishing scam on social media.
Scam Alert — Pokémon Go Players, Don’t Fall for This Phishing Con https://t.co/W840O29RHV via #constantcontact
— Burlington Police MA (@burlingtonpd) July 26, 2016
In the scam alert sent on Friday, the BBB warned of a phishing email that tricks players into thinking they need to pay for the game, even though it is free in app stores.
The email contains the message, “due to the overwhelming response to our new Pokémon Go app and the need for more powerful servers we can no longer afford to keep your account as free,” according to a BBB statement.
It then goes on to say the creators of Pokemon Go are now charging $12.99 per month for continued use of the popular game, and that the user’s account will be disabled if they do not pay, the BBB said.
The email asks the victim to click on a link, log in to the app store, and purchase a supposed “full version.”
“Don’t do it! The login form isn’t run by an official app store or Ninatic Labs, the game’s developers,” the BBB said. “It’s on a third party site, and it is a way to steal users’ passwords.”
This is not the first Pokemon Go scam. A previous scheme promised victims early access to the app, with a fake version of the game appearing in app stores, according to the BBB.
The BBB warned players to not open links or attachments contained in unexpected or unfamiliar emails and to look at the reply email address, which should be on a company domain.
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