FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 10, 2016
Contact: James Hallinan (505) 660-2216
Albuquerque, NM – Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas and the New Mexico Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Unit issued a Safety Advisory regarding Pokémon GO to all New Mexico law enforcement agency partners and the public. Pokémon GO is entertaining for our children, however, our children forget about the reality of this world, and how dangerous it can be. Pokémon GO is a lot of fun and has its benefits (e.g. exercise, being outside), but there are a multitude of things that can go wrong while playing. Since the game’s launch, stories from across the country about unfortunate players who have ended up in awkward or even dangerous situations as they’ve played; everything from aggravated assaults to robberies have become commonplace as so many unprepared players take to the streets in search for their favorite pocket monsters.
“It’s critically important to make sure New Mexico parents and law enforcement are aware of the risks related to predators using these types of apps and games to exploit children,” said Attorney General Hector Balderas.
It’s important to recognize the risks involved for children and adults when playing Pokémon GO:
Meeting people they don’t know face-to-face
The game is designed to bring people together. Usually strangers. So you never know who they might meet.
There’s a physical risk
It’s easy to forget to look where you’re going with this game, but they need to be careful of where they end up. There are already stories of people being lured to places that aren’t safe for children.
Access to personal data
Pokémon Go asks for personal information like your child’s birth date and email address, which they’re asked to enter or receive through social media accounts. Parents have the right to contact the creators to stop them from using their personal information.
For information about online child safety, please contact the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at (505) 222-9000 or to report suspected Child Exploitation, contact: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or www.missingkids.com.
# # #