'PCSD Will Never Ask For Money': Scam QR Codes Target Savannah Guthrie's Missing Mum Case, Police Warn

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has issued a stark warning in Arizona after scam QR codes began circulating online about the missing mother case involving Savannah Guthrie. Detectives in Tucson said on Tuesday that posts using a QR code to solicit donations were falsely claiming to support the search for 84‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie.

The sheriff's office stressed that 'PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation', and urged people not to scan the codes or send cash to strangers.

The scam is the latest attempt to exploit the high‑profile disappearance, which is being investigated jointly by the FBI and local authorities. It turns a deeply personal ordeal for the Today host and her family into yet another battlefront in the broader Savannah Guthrie missing mum nightmare.

Police Hit Back At Savannah Guthrie Scam

In its latest statement, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said it had identified online posts that tried to link a QR code directly to the official investigation into the missing mother of Savannah Guthrie.

'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 went further, turning what might sound like generic internet advice into a pointed warning tailored to this case.

'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.

Detectives know that public sympathy for Savannah Guthrie and her missing mum is high and that people want to do something, anything, to help. Scammers, predictably, are counting on that.

Bitcoin Demands, Fake Death Claims And A 'Safe, But Scared' Mum

This is not the first time the Savannah Guthrie missing mum case has been hijacked by people looking to make money or cause chaos.

In February, a California man, Derrick Anthony Callella, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device after sending fake ransom messages to Guthrie's daughter, Annie, and son‑in‑law, Tommaso Cioni. His texts and calls were tied to a supposed Bitcoin transaction, according to investigators.

Those messages arrived after several alleged ransom notes demanded millions in Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy's release. At least one claimed the 84‑year‑old was 'safe, but scared.'

The scams have not stopped there. The FBI has reportedly received multiple ransom letters, some of which have already been ruled fake, while others remain under active review.

One particularly grotesque note claimed Nancy had died by accident and offered to return her body for money, alongside an apology of sorts to the family.

An anonymous FBI source told Reuters that 'none of the ransom notes is believed to be genuine.'

Sheriff Chris Nanos has been even more direct in public, describing how federal agents pursue every lead, even the sick stuff. 'The FBI takes these notes extremely seriously. They track them down, and if they find it to be fraudulent, they don't just put it aside; they will arrest you, they have made arrests, I think they've made two or three arrests already,' Nanos said in June.

'Even if they're playing a game, I don't know what mind that is, that says this is what I want to do, don't do it', he added.

Human Cost Behind The Savannah Guthrie Missing Mum Hoaxes

In June, Savannah Guthrie used a segment on Today to plead directly with viewers as the investigation into her mum's disappearance stretched into its fifth month.

'Somebody knows something,' she 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.'

She added that her family would not 'be at peace' until Nancy is found and made a straightforward request: 'No matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy, and I will, I promise I will, this is a moment to tell you that we need your help. We're begging for help, and I'm not going to miss that opportunity.'

Those remarks followed reports of a ransom note claiming Nancy had already died, which the FBI later ruled fake.

A Live Investigation, A Frozen Trail And A Public On Edge

The official investigation into the missing mum case is very much ongoing. The Pima County Sheriff's Office has brought in the FBI, which is running advanced DNA tests on mixed samples recovered from Nancy's front porch and analysing a hair fragment found nearby.

Detectives have released an image of a masked suspect taken from doorbell footage, and tip lines have received 'thousands' of calls, according to Sheriff Nanos in earlier updates.

The news came after months of frantic searching for Nancy Guthrie, who police believe was forcibly taken from her Tucson home in the early hours of 1 February. Investigators have said a masked figure was captured on her doorbell camera before she vanished, and no suspects have yet been named.

The case has already attracted multiple bogus ransom notes, fake Bitcoin demands and even a harassment conviction for a man who bombarded the family with messages.

Federal agents and sheriff's detectives are still sifting genuine tips from wild hoaxes.

Alongside the family's $1 million reward, the FBI has set its own offer of up to $50,000 for information leading to Nancy's recovery or the apprehension of those responsible. The bureau and sheriff's office are directing anyone with credible information to the 1‑800‑CALL‑FBI hotline.