The Pima County Sheriff's Department issued a warning Monday about a scam circulating online that uses a fraudulent QR code to solicit money in connection with the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie who has now been missing for more than 164 days.

In a statement posted to social media, the department said it had become aware of posts about the Guthrie investigation that include a QR code requesting payment. "The Pima County Sheriff's Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie Investigation that include a QR code requesting money," the statement, issued under Sheriff Chris Nanos, read. "PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation. Please do not send money to people you do not know or scan QR codes requesting payment." The department urged the public to ignore and report any such posts rather than engage with them, adding, "Stay alert and help spread the word."

The scam warning marks the latest instance of fraudulent activity tied to Guthrie's disappearance since she went missing from her Catalina Foothills home outside Tucson on the night of January 31. It follows a fake GoFundMe campaign flagged by authorities in March and the guilty plea earlier this month of a California man, Derrick Anthony Callella, who admitted to sending fabricated ransom messages to Guthrie's daughter, Annie, and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, in February. Callella was charged with two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device and is scheduled for........

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