Arizona Sheriff Warns of a QR Code Scam Targeting Nancy Guthrie Case as Search Passes Five-Month Mark

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona is warning the public about a new scam exploiting the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than five months.

In a statement posted to social media this week, the sheriff’s department said fake QR codes requesting money have been circulating online, falsely tied to the high-profile investigation. “The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie investigation that include a QR code requesting money,” the department said. “PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation.” The department urged the public not to send money to strangers or scan QR codes requesting payment, adding, “If you see one of these posts, ignore it and report it. Stay alert and help spread the word.”

Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson-area home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood on the night of January 31, after being dropped off at the property. She was reported missing the following day by family members after she failed to show up at church. Relatives arrived at the home just before noon and notified the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which arrived shortly after and determined Guthrie was missing under what officials described as concerning circumstances. Investigators later discovered dried blood droplets outside the entrance to her home, which were confirmed through testing to match Guthrie’s DNA.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said investigators believe Guthrie was the victim of an abduction. Federal authorities later released surveillance footage from the night of her disappearance showing an armed, masked individual approaching her home and tampering with her doorbell camera before the abduction occurred.

In the days following the disappearance, multiple ransom notes were sent to members of the Guthrie family and to media outlets, with at least one demanding payment in bitcoin and containing specific details about Guthrie’s clothing. One of the notes claimed she had died. On July 1, the FBI confirmed that several of the ransom notes received in connection with the case were deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy, though the investigation into her actual whereabouts remains ongoing.

The case saw a legal development earlier this month when Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old man from Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty on July 2 to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device in connection with the case, according to a Justice Department news release. According to court documents, Callella told officials he had called and sent text messages to the Guthrie family on February 4, inquiring about a bitcoin transfer after learning of an earlier ransom demand. He admitted his actions were intended to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation, after obtaining details about them from an online database while following media coverage of the case. Callella is expected to be sentenced on September 10 and faces up to five years of probation as part of his plea agreement.

Savannah Guthrie has remained one of the most visible public voices in the case, repeatedly appealing to viewers of “Today” and to the broader public for any information that could help locate her mother. Marking the five-month anniversary of her mother’s disappearance, Savannah issued a statement on behalf of the family to a Tucson television station, saying, “It is five months of agony and unending trauma for our family.” She added, “There is not a moment that goes by that we aren’t actively trying to find our mom. We thank the people of Tucson for holding her in their hearts, as well as both the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless work on behalf of our family. Bring her home.”

Sheriff Nanos has continued to provide updates on the investigation’s progress, including the use of forensic genealogy techniques to help analyze DNA evidence collected from the scene. Speaking about the complexity of that process, Nanos said, “Especially when you throw in genealogy — now, you’ve got… this may not be the bad guy, but this person might be the bad guy’s relative three times over. So, that has to be broken down to see if this might be someone of interest to us.” Marking the 100-day point in the investigation earlier this year, Nanos emphasized that the case remained active, saying, “There’s way too much work to be done, that is ongoing, with some of the physical evidence we have. And we’re not going to give up on it just because it’s been 100 days.”

Authorities have said they have not ruled out anyone connected to the case except for Guthrie’s adult children and their spouses, who officials have officially excluded as suspects. Investigators continue to treat the case as a kidnapping, and a substantial reward remains in place for information leading to Guthrie’s safe recovery. The Guthrie family is offering up to $1 million, in addition to a $100,000 reward from the FBI and a $102,500 reward from the Tucson Crime Stoppers hotline.

Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900, or 88-CRIME at 520-882-7463. Digital photos, video or doorbell camera footage from the area around the time of her disappearance can also be submitted directly to the FBI through a dedicated online portal set up for the case. The FBI can additionally be reached at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

As the investigation continues without a confirmed resolution, authorities have stressed that the emergence of scams like the recent QR code solicitation underscores the need for public vigilance, both to protect potential victims from financial exploitation and to preserve the integrity of an active federal and local investigation that remains, more than five months later, without answers for the Guthrie family.