The woman, who remains unnamed, was being interviewed on the streets of Rio de Janeiro about the lack of police in broad daylight yesterday when a thief attempted to snatch her gold necklace.
The clip captures the moment he grabs at her necklace from behind, tightening it around her throat until the chain snaps and running off down the road into oncoming traffic.
While he did not succeed in the robbery, the failed thief did get away - despite being chased down by the interviewer, who was working for RJTV.
Watch the dramatic moment for yourself below:
According to the Mail Online's statistics, there were 406 killings in Rio last year, as well as 629 robberies and a 40% increase in muggings.
The video is hoped to serve as a warning to all those attending the World Cup in the city later this summer.