A former FBI special agent explains how tips connected to the Nancy Guthrie case are kept “100% anonymous.”
Following Savannah Guthrie’s $1 million reward offer, authorities have reported a surge in incoming tips. Still, they have yet to find concrete leads on Nancy or her abductors.
Speaking with NBC’s Liz Kreutz, former FBI special agent Bryanna Fox explains how tips in the Nancy Guthrie case can be submitted anonymously and remain untraceable.
Nancy Guthrie Case: Former FBI Agent Assures Tipsters are Untraceable
Fox assured anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie who may be hesitant to come forward that authorities focus solely on the tip itself, not the informant’s background or record.
“If you have a criminal record, you’re undocumented, if you have a tip in this case, that’s what they want most,” Fox explained. “They’re willing to overlook anything.”
Tips can be sent anonymously to the FBI, both online and by phone (1-800-CALL-FBI).
Informants who are uncomfortable contacting law enforcement can also send their tips through Crime Stoppers, which is run by volunteers. Either way, all calls remain completely untraceable.
“You can provide a tip, and they will provide you with a unique number or passcode,” Fox further explained. “That passcode then allows you to log in to their website and see the status of your tip.”
The former FBI agent continued, “So, if your tip, in fact, led to the identification of either Mrs. Guthrie or the conviction of a suspect, that will notify you that you have been, essentially, rewarded.”
‘No Questions Asked’
If a tip qualifies for the reward, Kreutz noted that the informant can claim the money without ever revealing their identity.
She explained that a neutral location—such as a post office—would be arranged, and the tipster could retrieve the reward, likely in cash, by providing a PIN number associated with the tip. No identification would be required, and no questions would be asked, Kreutz added.
On Tuesday, Savannah announced that the Guthrie family is offering an additional reward of “up to $1 million,” 24 days after since Nancy’s disappearance.
A source close to the family told PEOPLE that the Guthries have considered offering a reward since day one, but were discouraged to do so.
“The family first raised this on the first day of the investigation and has been ready to do this ever since,” the source told the outlet. “They were advised by all involved in the investigation that doing so earlier might overwhelm the infrastructure set up to field leads, tens of thousands of which have been coming in organically.”
