TUCSON, Ariz. — The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued a public warning this week alerting residents to fraudulent QR code scams that are exploiting the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Officials said they have identified fraudulent social media posts and emails circulating online that link QR codes directly to donation requests tied to the investigation. The department emphasized that it has never solicited, and will never solicit, donations from the public in connection with this or any other criminal investigation.

Officials Detail the Scam

In its public statement, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department described the specific pattern investigators have observed.

“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie investigation that include a QR code requesting money,” officials said. “PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation.”

The department urged the public to remain cautious and avoid engaging with any such requests.

“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,” the statement continued.

A Case That Has Drawn National Attention

Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson residence more than five months ago, in a case that remains classified as a potential kidnapping by both the FBI and local law enforcement authorities. Despite receiving countless tips from the public, no one has been formally charged in connection with her disappearance as the investigation continues.

The high-profile nature of the case, tied to Guthrie’s daughter’s prominent role as a national television anchor, has kept the disappearance in the public eye for months, drawing both genuine public concern and, increasingly, attention from criminals looking to exploit that concern for financial gain.

A Pattern of Exploitation Since the Case Began

This is not the first instance of bad actors attempting to capitalize on the Guthrie case. The investigation has already drawn attention from individuals issuing fake ransom demands, as well as scammers spreading false information to manipulate public sympathy and attention.

Federal authorities recently secured a guilty plea from a California man who admitted to harassing the Guthrie family through phone calls and text messages containing false claims related to cryptocurrency, according to reporting on the case. That prosecution illustrates the extent to which the Guthrie family has already been targeted by individuals seeking to exploit the ongoing tragedy for personal gain.

A Family Pleading for Answers

Savannah Guthrie has repeatedly and publicly appealed for any reliable information regarding her mother’s disappearance. The family has established a $1 million reward for information leading to her mother’s safe return, while the FBI has separately offered its own reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

In emotional public remarks, Savannah Guthrie has emphasized how deeply the ongoing uncertainty has affected her family.

“Somebody knows something,” Guthrie said through tears. “This is a news story today that’s on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day.”

A Broader Pattern of Scams Tied to High-Profile Cases

The exploitation of the Guthrie case fits within a broader, troubling pattern in which criminals target high-profile missing person investigations and other emotionally charged news events to defraud the public. According to statistics released by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Americans lost more than $16.6 billion to cybercrimes in 2024 alone, underscoring the scale of the broader challenge law enforcement agencies face in combating online fraud.

Cybersecurity specialists have consistently warned that scammers frequently take advantage of emotionally charged moments, including missing person cases, natural disasters and other tragedies, to manipulate victims into sending money or clicking on malicious links disguised as legitimate donation requests.

Guidance for the Public

Law enforcement officials and cybersecurity experts are urging members of the public to take several precautions in light of the ongoing scam activity. Recommendations include avoiding unfamiliar QR codes entirely, verifying any information related to active investigations only through official law enforcement channels, and immediately reporting any suspicious posts or messages encountered online rather than engaging with them directly.

Officials specifically emphasized that legitimate law enforcement agencies conducting criminal investigations do not solicit direct financial donations from members of the public, a distinction they say is important for residents to keep in mind when encountering any similar requests tied to future high-profile cases.

An Investigation That Continues

As detectives continue working to determine what happened to Nancy Guthrie, authorities say the case remains an active priority for both local and federal investigators. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has reiterated its call for the public to remain vigilant against online fraud while the investigation proceeds, emphasizing that any assistance the public can provide toward the case should come through direct communication with verified law enforcement channels rather than through unsolicited social media posts or fundraising links.

Anyone with legitimate information related to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department or the FBI directly, rather than responding to any third-party posts, messages or QR codes claiming to be affiliated with the investigation.

Among the NDA constituents in the state, the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) have members in the assembly. Rabha Hasong Joutha Sangram Samiti (RHJSS) and Janashakti Party (JP) are also part of the NDA, but they do not have any MLAs.

“Our NDA alliance is complete. We know who will contest where; it is a done deal. There is no issue in stitching the alliance,” Sarma told reporters at the state BJP headquarters.

“After every process is complete, the state leadership will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the list of probable candidates,” he added.

On January 7, Sarma had said the BJP was likely to formalise its seat-sharing agreement with its allies by February 15.

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On December 5 last year, he had said the finalisation was expected to be over by January 15.
The elections for the 126-member assembly are expected to take place in March-April. This will be the first election after the delimitation exercise, done in 2023.Post delimitation, many seats and their geographical boundaries have been changed, while some non-reserved seats were reserved and vice versa. This has led to complications within the ruling and opposition coalitions.

At present, the BJP has 64 members in the assembly, while AGP has nine, UPPL has seven, and the BPF has three.

In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15, and CPI(M) has one. There is one Independent legislator as well.

As GLP-1 weight loss medications continue to surge in popularity, NFL legend Tom Brady is getting in on the action, using his wellness brand to “democratize” the health care system in a way the world has “never seen.”

The seven-time Super Bowl champion has teamed up with eMed, a digital health company managing sustainable ways to offer GLP-1 drugs while helping employers reduce health insurance claims.

“There’s an epidemic in America, the disease of obesity, and how can we democratize health and wellness in a way that the world has never seen?” Brady said in an exclusive interview with “The Claman Countdown” Wednesday.

DR OZ LINKS OBESITY TO CHRONIC DISEASE SURGE, SAYS GLP-1S CAN ‘JUMPSTART’ BETTER HEALTH

Tom Brady before a game at AT&T Stadium Sept, 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Serving as eMed’s chief wellness officer, Brady hopes to help people live better, healthier lives by harnessing the power of weight loss medications, lamenting America’s obesity epidemic.

“I love seeing people live a better life, live a healthier life, feel better, do the things that they want to do in the end. It’s always been a struggle in our country,” the football legend said.

“There’s no debate about the way that this medicine is working right now in terms of keeping people and getting people on their wellness journey started.”

TOM BRADY LAUNCHES GOOD NUT COCONUT WATER LINE WITH GOPUFF IN MARKET EXPECTED TO REACH $11B BY 2030

EMed CEO Linda Yaccarino previously said the goal is to apply Brady’s “rigor” to improve the health of the American workforce and minimize chronic diseases.

A woman injects a GLP-1 into her stomach in this undated photo taken at an undisclosed location. (iStock / iStock)

With more than 60% of Americans receiving health benefits through an employer, eMed aims to incentivize companies to cover GLP-1 medications for eligible workers, Yaccarino said.

“We do a great job of saving employers’ money and getting people healthy,” Brady said.

AMERICANS ARE GIVING UP MULTIVITAMINS FOR A DIFFERENT DAILY HEALTH HABIT, STUDY FINDS

“There’s finally, for the first time, a health benefit, attacking all these chronic diseases and a financial benefit to employers. So, it’s giving them incentive to cover the medications,” Yaccarino added.

Tom Brady shakes a young fan’s hand at Fanatics Fest. (Fanatics / Fox News)

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Yaccarino described GLP-1 medications as the “pharmaceutical revolution” of the modern age while outlining the support eMed provides to patients.

“Once we bring our members onto our program, we combine AI, technology and continuous clinical support so they stay with us,” she said.

Once again Wall Street was surprised by a deflationary wholesale price report where the level of the so-called producer price index actually dropped by three-tenths of a percent. And it’s worth noting that after rising 1.1 percent in April, the PPI eased to 0.6 percent in May. And then the outright decline of three-tenths in June.

This follows yesterday’s deflationary CPI report. Both are a welcome relief from the inflationary reports of recent months. Real average hourly earnings rose 0.8 percent in June. That’s the best monthly real wage gain in 11 years, excluding the pandemic. Wall Street is also wrong about its prediction that the Fed will be raising rates, as these deflationary reports have taken rate hikes off the board, undoubtedly for the rest of the year I think. 

Actually, my view is the Fed’s not going to change their target rates until Chairman Kevin Warsh’s various task forces report. There are five panels with some very smart people on them. They’re gonna look at the appropriate inflation measures, the Fed’s balance sheet, communication and forward guidance, economic data quality, and productivity.

This is part of Mr. Warsh’s regime change. And it’s a very good idea. Yet my hunch is not to expect any big policy changes until those task forces publish their work, and the central bank figures out how to absorb the reports and then change them.

Meanwhile, even as President Trump steps up the bombing of Iran in response to the IRGC busting the ceasefire and the memorandum of understanding, inflationary expectations in our financial markets are actually coming down.

Indeed even the WTI oil price seems to have stopped rising. I think word money markets want to see regime change in Iran even more than regime change at the Fed. For the record, the two-year CPI break-evens have dropped all the way to 1.89 percent, that’s below the Fed’s 2 percent target, the dollar is strong, and precious metals are soft.

Meanwhile profits, productivity, and stock prices are all soaring. After the pro-growth incentives of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill of a year ago. So at least for now, we’ve got falling prices and a rising economy. Has Goldilocks returned?

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