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THIS is the shocking moment a news reporter became the victim of an attempted mugging just moments before going live on air.
Brazilian journalist Clara Nery was gearing up to appear on camera when the incident unfolded.
The clip begins with her typing a message on her phone in the run up to the broadcast.
But in the background, a man on a motorbike slowly closes in on her as she continues texting.
As he drives past, he tries to swipe her phone straight out of her hand.
Nery screams in shock and swears at the man.
However, she later confirmed she was able to keep hold of the device as she had a tight grip on it.
She said: “I had my back turned when this man rode by on a motorcycle on the sidewalk and tried to take my phone.
“In the video, you can see the moment he puts his hand on my phone and takes it from me.
“Luckily, I was holding on tightly.”
A Rio de Janeiro Military Police unit responded to the incident, MailOnline has reported.
However, they were unable to locate the suspect following a search of the neighbourhood.
Review of surveillance footage has allowed the authorities to get a clear look at the suspect.
“Luckily, and despite his lack of skill, I managed to retrieve the phone,” Nery added.
“But we already have the security camera footage, the camera that managed to focus on his face.”
There has been a 27 per cent increase in phone thefts in June compared to the same time in 2024, according to the Rio de Janeiro Public Security Institute.
As many as 2,300 phones were swiped in that month compared to 1,808 last June.
