VIDEO: Jeanette Reyes of Fox News responds to scam artist

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‘We are live on television right now…’ Hilarious moment TV journalist turns on her ‘anchor voice’ to scare off a phone scammer

  • Jeanette Reyes of Fox 5 recorded the scam artist trying to fleece her 
  • Ms Reyes used her professional voice to bamboozle the would-be criminal 
  • She was warned that she was at risk of being jailed if she did not pay up
  • Fortunately for Ms Reyes, she realised immediately the caller was a scam artist  

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:


This is the hilarious moment a Fox 5  anchor received a scam telephone call and decided it would be funny to expose the would-be scammer.  

Jeanette Reyes used her professional voice to tell the criminals ‘we are live on television right now…’ 

The scammers – who are targeting people across the globe – tried to convince Ms Reyes that she owned $2,700 and if the money was not cleared immediately, she would be arrested. 

Ms Reyes, pictured, used her professional newsreader voice when dealing with the scammer

Fox News TV anchor Jeanette Reyes, pictured, was contacted by scam artists who wanted to steal more than $2,000 from her account 

Ms Reyes, pictured, is one of the best known faces on American TV screens due to her high profile role on Fox 5

Ms Reyes, pictured, is one of the best known faces on American TV screens due to her high profile role on Fox 5

Ms Reyes, 31, knew immediately that the call was a scam and decided she wished to have some fun at the criminal’s expense. 

In footage which has been shown widely online, Ms Reyes uses her professional training to embarrass the felon. 

According the footage, the Fox 5 anchor said: ‘3..2..1…good evening, we are live on television right now with an investigation into scam callers. We have the FBI on the line. They are tracking this phone number as we speak. Sir, what is your full name again?’ 

Unsurprisingly, the criminal hung up the phone after getting embarrassed by the TV anchor. 

The problem of scam calls is increasing with criminals across the globe. The FBI and Interpol warn phone users about the scam artists who  use calls, text messages, and emails to contact their victims. 

Experts warn against handing over any private details to anyone who contacts them. 

Banks and other financial institutions will not require details such as PIN codes. 

Ms Reyes published the video of the scam attempt to warn other people about the con artists

Ms Reyes published the video of the scam attempt to warn other people about the con artists

As soon as she told the scam artist they were live on television, the criminal hung up the phone

As soon as she told the scam artist they were live on television, the criminal hung up the phone

One fan responded to Ms Reyes’ video claiming: ‘They’re always calling me about unpaid taxes, an unnamed account balance or saying that I didn’t pay my daughter’s doctor bill. 

‘I don’t have a daughter.’

Another fan said: ‘The sad part is elderly people are taken advantage of by the scammers.’ 

A third said: ‘I say to them “Hang on my husband works in the fraud department of the police. He says I should always put calls on loudspeaker to record just in case they are fraudulent. You don’t mind do you?” 

‘Usually there is a click as they hangup.’ 

How to protect yourself from scam artists  

The Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers about con artists who a making calls, often using the names of famous companies such as Amazon and Apple. 

In one version of the scam, the victim receives a recorded message claiming there is a problem with their account, a suspicious purchase, a lost package or even an order that can not be fulfilled. 

Other victims have been contacted by criminals claiming to be from Apple, claiming someone’s iCloud account has been compromised. 

According to the FTC: ‘In both scenarios, the scammers say you can conveniently press 1 to speak with someone (how nice of them!). Or they give you a phone number to call. Don’t do either. It’s a scam. They’re trying to steal your personal information, like your account password or your credit card number.

‘If you get an unexpected call or message about a problem with any of your accounts, hang up.

‘If you think there may actually be a problem with one of your accounts, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real.’

In the UK, contact the company or person who took your money – this could be fruitless if it’s a scam, but it should be your first port of call.

If you bought something costing £100 or more on a credit card, you may be able to claim it back under a little-known law: Section 75. Once you’ve paid using a credit card, the card provider and retailer are locked into a legally binding contract, so if the retailer can’t or won’t refund you, you can raise the dispute with your card provider.  

If you can’t claim the money back via Section 75 you could try using the chargeback scheme. It’s a voluntary agreement by your debit or charge card provider to stand in your corner if anything goes wrong.

Unfortunately, if you’ve transferred the money using sites such as Moneygram, Western Union or PayPal, you generally can’t get your money back once you’ve handed it over.