Pokémon cards allegedly link to adult website
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SHERWOOD, OR (KTPV) - A Sherwood family received a big shock while playing with some new Pokemon cards recently.
They scanned what they thought was a quick response code, which is similar to a bar code and can be scanned for more information about merchandise, but it took them to a pornographic website.
Ben Lapp used his smart phone to scan the code, which was promoting the Pokemon Online Challenge, but the responding web search wasn't what he expected.
"When the site came up, I didn't know what to do. Suddenly, you can't hit the back button fast enough," Lapp said.
Lapp's 7- and 9-year-old children didn't see anything, but he and his wife remain concerned. They fear other families may not be so lucky.
The Lapps later noticed the fine print on the card that directed them to the Pokemon website, and the code given on that site did work as expected.
Jeff Lorton, an expert on quick response codes, says companies need to be careful about the codes they use and the instructions given to users. He says there's still a learning curve with the technology.
"Things are moving so fast, there are bound to be some mistakes made by people," he said.
The Pokemon Corporation couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
Copyright 2012 KPTV (Meredith Corporation.) All rights reserved.
