Journalist Megyn Kelly has revealed the moment her family was nearly swindled out of $17,000 by an elaborate scam that's becoming increasingly more common.
As part of 'Fraud Week' on The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly recalled the scheme that targeted her elderly mother-in-law, Jackie.
On Friday's episode, Both Megyn and her husband Doug said they were nearly tricked by the sophisticated con.
Kelly shared the full story and sent a chilling warning to her audience: 'There are words of caution in this story for everyone... We decided to tell you the story - even though we knew you might mock us a little - because we want to help others and we learned a lot ourselves.'
It began on January 22, 2021, during the COVID-19 epidemic. Megyn and her family prepared to travel for a wedding, and Doug received a disturbing call from his 84-year-old mother, Jackie, in Philadelphia.
Journalist Megyn Kelly has revealed the moment her family was nearly swindled out of $17,000 by an elaborate scam that's becoming increasingly more common
As part of 'Fraud Week' on The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly recalled the scheme that targeted her elderly mother-in-law, Jackie. On Friday's episode, Both Megyn and her husband Doug said they were nearly tricked by the sophisticated con.
Jackie had been contacted by a woman she believed to be Doug's sister, Diane. The woman claimed she and her partner Brad were jailed following a car accident on Cape Cod.
According to Diane, she needed bail money urgently, and Jackie was provided with a number to contact a court-appointed lawyer.
Jackie was convinced by the sobbing voice and called the number. She was then told bail was set at $17,000.
Doug and Megyn were then roped into the chaos. They tried to verify the lawyer's story, even being told to use cryptocurrency for bail due to COVID protocols.
But soon enough, alarms began to ring in their heads, and they sought the help of a friend on Cape Cod, Steve, to deliver the cash.
Steve, however, noticed something off - the supposed lawyer mispronounced Barnstable, the town where the events allegedly occurred.
Steve became suspicious, which led him to Diane and Brad's house, where he found them safe at home.
'Diane and Brad are safe, no one has handed over any money, and Steve saved the day,' Megyn said.
After realizing they'd nearly fallen for a scam, Megyn and Doug decided to turn the tables on the fraudster, trying to 'have some fun' with him and catch him in a lie.
The scammer never admitted to the con and Megyn said she never explicitly called him out on it but he eventually hung up on her and never contacted her again.
Megyn emphasized the importance of sharing these experiences to prevent others from falling victim.
Megyn emphasized the importance of sharing these experiences to prevent others from falling victim (Douglas Brunt, left, and Megan Kelly)
'What if this happened to your mom or to you? Now you'll know. If we hadn't told the story, you might not know. Maybe you would be hoodwinked. I don't know. It could happen. Trust me,' she said.
She highlighted that even the most intelligent and confident individuals can be deceived, and urged her audience to remain vigilant and slightly skeptical.
Megyn also urged her audience to stay informed and share your experiences as awareness is the best defense.
'Sadly, there are fraudsters out there working hard every day to steal your money or something precious and most of these never see the light of day. They just happen privately because people are too embarrassed to talk about it. They are humiliated, and I get it. But there is no reason to be humiliated.'
'If you get defrauded by one of these losers – or almost defrauded, in our case – what does it say about you? It says you believe in human nature. You believe in others. You probably have a kind heart. You are probably a trusting soul. Those are not bad things. But a slightly jaded, trusting soul? I think that is what we are going for.'
'That is why we shared, and that is why we hope everybody listens and talks about these kinds of things more and more. We can help each other.'
