A group of Pokémon Go players has serious concerns over social app Campfire: some fans are claiming that, rather than being used as the positive companion piece it was intended to be, it is instead being used or can be used by shady people to lure unsuspecting players into places to rob them.
The Reddit post that started the fan worries was based on a user review saying: “Following a series of crimes revolving around it, including it being used to lure people for robbery, I’ve recommended everyone delete the app for their own safety.”
The concerns spilled over to another April 9 thread. One player said the way it happens is people are lighting Flares—a tool intended to point out Raids and gyms to nearby players—to draw others into vulnerable areas at night.
“I got a notification at like 11pm last night saying a flare was lit. Like, there’s definitely not a Raid going on. It was at a small park for daycare kids” said one player. “A few weeks ago, I got out of work late. It was dark already. I drove by a three gym spot, saw one parked, and started the Raid. When the countdown hit below 30, I saw a second player join. And out of the shadows, a male figure emerged,” said another.
That’s not their only concern, either. Some players have also claimed they’ve had “sketchy conversations” with suspicious Pokémon Go users. A common theme was they’d ask for lifts to Raids at untimely hours.
Others are skeptical about whether the issue is as widespread as people claim. They accused others of “fear-mongering.” Their main argument is Pokémon Go incidents like this have been happening since day one, and it’s not Campfire-related, but rather, an issue tied to the irresponsible use of social media apps.
Either way, the increase in reports is an important reminder for players to be cautious when using the app.
Campfire is a social app created by Niantic to help players across all its mobile titles interact, meet up with others, and discover new places, activities, and more. When used correctly, it can be a handy tool. For example, a new feature allowing players to find and join raids, or host their own was trialed recently. It’s something players have wanted for a long time now and it is expected to be made permanent soon.
At first, the app was invite-only, and those invites were limited to a small portion of the community. On April 6, it was made available to all players. Perhaps that’s why there appears to be an increase in misuse.
So, when using Campfire or even just Pokémon Go, please be careful.
