Nancy Guthrie disappearance prompts scam warning from officials
The Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona is alerting people to a new scam connected to the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
The sheriff's department posted a statement about the scam on X on Tuesday, July 14.
"The Pima County Sheriff's Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie investigation that include a QR code requesting money," the statement read, adding the department "will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation."
"Please do not send money to people you do not know or scan QR codes requesting payment. If you see one of these posts, ignore it and report it. Stay alert and help spread the word."
USA TODAY has reached out to the Pima County Sheriff's Department to determine if anyone has fallen victim to the scam.
Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie stretches into five months
The scam warning comes as Guthrie's disappearance stretches into five months. The 84-year-old is the mother of "Today" host Savannah Guthrie. She was last seen entering her Tucson, Arizona home at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31. Authorities later found dried blood droplets at the entrance to her home that matched the elderly woman's DNA.
The FBI and sheriff's department promptly launched a search for Nancy Guthrie, who they believed to be the victim of a kidnapping-for-ransom case.
Authorities have still been unable to locate her body, though several ransom notes have been distributed to media outlets.
In an update earlier this month, the FBI's Phoenix office stated it had not fully dismissed the validity of all the notes.
"Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such," the update stated. "This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case."
In one of the latest developments, Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device on Thursday, July 2, in connection to the case, according to a Justice Department news release.
Callella told officials he called and sent text messages to Guthrie's family on Feb. 4, 2026, inquiring about a bitcoin transfer after becoming aware of an earlier ransom demand. He admitted his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the disappearance.
The Guthrie family is offering up to a $1 million reward in addition to a $100,000 reward from the FBI and a $102,500 reward from the Tucson Crime Stoppers hotline for any information leading to her recovery.