Email scammers are attempting to capitalize on the "Pokemon Go" craze by asking users to pay a monthly fee for a nonexistent version of the game, which has reached millions around the world.
Those behind the phishing scheme send emails to "Pokemon Go" users that say players need to upgrade to the "full version" of the game for $12.99 per month or else their account will be frozen.
"Due to overwhelming response to our new 'Pokemon Go' app and the need for more powerful servers, we can no longer afford to keep your account as free," the email states, according to a statement from the Better Business Bureau.
The email asks users to click a link that will supposedly redirect them to the App Store, where they can purchase the monthly package. Instead, the link leads to a third-party website the scammers use to steal victims' "Pokemon Go" account passwords.
Tens of millions of people have downloaded the app since it launched earlier this month. It exceeded Twitter's 65 million downloads in the week following its launch in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, according to The Guardian.
It is unclear how many passwords may have been compromised in the scheme. The Better Business Bureau warns users to look out for emails from unfamiliar addresses and to never click on suspicious links in such emails.
