As “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, as well as her family and fans, continue to wait for news amid the investigation around the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, police have just shared an update that’s warning the public about an issue that could end up directly affecting them if they’re not careful.
Scam Related to the Nancy Guthrie Investigation Is Circulating
On Tuesday, July 14, Parade reported that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is heading up the investigation, has issued a “rare warning … amid the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie” as the heartbreaking situation “nears the six-month mark.”
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie investigation that include a QR code requesting money,” the department shared in an image included along with an Instagram post that was shared on July 14.
“PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation,” the notice continued. “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.”
The message finished by telling the public to “[s]tay alert and help spread the word.”
Parade points out that “[w]hile it’s unclear who is behind the apparent false reports, the latest development marks a rare update from the sheriff’s office.”
The Money Scam Comes After Fake Kidnapping Notes
The warning from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department regarding a scam requesting money comes after Reuters reported on Tuesday, June 30, that the FBI recently “determine[d] … kidnapping notes” sent during the investigation were “fakes.”
An FBI official told Reuters that “[a]ll three kidnapping-related messages that have surfaced in news media reports about the disappearance of ‘Today’ show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s elderly mother have been deemed by federal investigators to be fake communications.”
Reuters noted that “[t]he FBI assessment of inauthenticity pertains to the two ransom notes reported in early February, days after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished, and a third, more recent message from someone claiming to know the kidnappers’ identities, the official said.”
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the FBI official told Reuters, while another law enforcement source confirmed the update.
“The disclosure that the FBI has discounted the veracity of the three notes — two of which were widely reported to have been communications from kidnappers — seemed to raise doubts about investigators’ fundamental premise that Nancy Guthrie was abducted for ransom to begin with,” according to Reuters.
“All three messages in question were initially delivered to various media outlets, including celebrity news site TMZ.com, before they were turned over to authorities for review,” Reuters added. “Savannah … has referenced ransom demands in video messages she and her siblings have posted on social media, urging kidnappers to open a direct line of communication with her family and pleading for her mother’s return, saying in one video, ‘we will pay.'”
Reuters also noted that “[a] spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department … declined to comment, citing its agreement to refer all inquiries regarding ransom notes to the FBI.”
However, the sheriff’s spokesperson, Angelica Carrillo, did mention that both DNA samples and video evidence related to the investigation “remain under forensic analysis.”
