The Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona is alerting people to a new scam involving the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
The Sheriff’s Department posted a statement about the scam on Tuesday, July 14.
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie investigation that involve requesting money via QR code,” the statement said. “Money will never be solicited in connection with this case or any investigation,” the department said.
“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. Be vigilant and help spread the word.”
USA TODAY has contacted the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to determine if anyone has been a victim of this scam.
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance extended for five months.
The scam warning comes as it marks five months since Guthrie went missing. The 84-year-old is the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie. He was last seen entering his Tucson, Arizona home at 9:48 pm on January 31. Authorities later found drops of dried blood at the entrance of her home that matched the elderly woman’s DNA.
The FBI and Sheriff’s Department immediately began searching for Nancy Guthrie, who they believed was the victim of a kidnapping for ransom case.
Authorities are still unable to locate his body, although several ransom notes have been distributed to media outlets.
In an update earlier this month, the FBI’s Phoenix office said it had not completely ruled out the validity of all the notes.
“Some have been deemed extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated,” the update said. “This case is being investigated as a case of kidnapping for ransom.”
In one of the latest incidents, Derrick Calella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty Thursday, July 2, to two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device in connection with the case, according to a news release from the Justice Department.
Calella told authorities that after first learning of the ransom demand, he called Guthrie’s family on February 4, 2026, and inquired about the Bitcoin transfer. He admitted that his actions were to harass the family by demanding information about the disappearance investigation.
The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for any information leading to his recovery, in addition to a $100,000 reward from the FBI and a $102,500 reward from the Tucson Crime Stoppers hotline.
Reporting by Michelle del Rey and Liza Esquibias, USA TODAY/USA TODAY Network, via Reuters Connect.