Media Monster

ESPN Anchor Falls Victim To Hotel Room Hoax

We know female ESPN anchors have had more than their fair share of issues with disturbances at hotels.

The latest version comes is in the style of Pranknet, a syndicate of people with way too much time on their hands who prank call people and force them into ridiculous stunts. One of their specialties: convincing hotel patrons that their room is on fire or in the vicinity of a gas leak, forcing them to break through the door and/or windows.

Their latest target was ESPNU reporter Elizabeth Moreau, who was staying in a Gainesville, Florida Hilton Garden Inn while covering a Florida-Tennessee volleyball match.

The male caller, who masqueraded as her husband to get his call past the front desk, informed Moreau that the building was on fire and instructed her to use the toilet lid cover to break through her window, which she did.

The caller then yelled at Moreau, telling her in Moreau’s own words it was “what she gets for being a bad ex-wife” along with other expletives.

Pranknet hasn’t yet taken responsibility for the call, though in the past they have frequently used similar hoaxes and often target Hilton Garden Inns for their lax call-screening practices.

Look on the bright side: at least we won’t have a video of this incident released illegally onto the Web.

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Use the toilet lid cover to break into my Twitter account @sportsdoctormd