{"slug": "fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report", "title": "FBI determines ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie abduction are not genuine: report", "summary": "The FBI has determined that three ransom notes received in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of \"Today\" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, are not genuine, according to an anonymous FBI official. The notes, sent to media outlets including TMZ, demanded cryptocurrency payments and claimed knowledge of the kidnappers, but investigators concluded they were not connected to the abduction. Guthrie has been missing since February 1 from her Tucson, Arizona home.", "body_md": "# FBI determines ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie abduction are not genuine: report\n\nSee more of our coverage in your search results.\n\n[Add The New York Post on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nypost.com)\n\nThree [ransom notes received from Nancy Guthrie’s](https://nypost.com/2026/06/29/us-news/nancy-guthrie-suspects-note-is-attempt-to-dodge-death-penalty-claims-ex-fbi-agent/) so-called abductors following her chilling disappearance have been determined to be fake communications, according to a new report.\n\nFederal investigators determined that all three letters in relation to the kidnapping of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother were not authentic, an anonymous FBI official told [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fbi-determines-nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-notes-be-fakes-source-says-2026-07-01/).\n\nThe official — who spoke to the publication on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an active investigation — said the FBI assessed the authenticity of two ransom notes reported in early February, just days after Guthrie vanished, and a third, more recent ransom note that claimed to know the[ identities of her kidnappers](https://nypost.com/2026/06/29/us-news/nancy-guthrie-suspects-note-is-attempt-to-dodge-death-penalty-claims-ex-fbi-agent/).\n\n“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the FBI source told the publication.\n\nA second law enforcement source familiar with the matter confirmed the FBI’s assessment that the ransom notes were not genuine, the outlet reported.\n\nGuthrie — who authorities believe to have been abducted [from her Tucson, Arizona home](https://nypost.com/2026/02/02/us-news/savannah-guthries-moms-disappearance-being-investigated-as-a-crime-cops/) — has been missing since Feb. 1.\n\nSince news of her disappearance broke, a barrage of ransom notes have been sent to media outlets,[ including TMZ.](https://nypost.com/2026/06/26/us-news/new-nancy-guthrie-note-sent-to-tmz-claims-to-have-footage-of-savannahs-mom-on-day-that-was-probably-her-last/)\n\nThe first two ransom notes sent in February were believed to have originated from the same sender, the FBI official told Reuters, without specifying how that conclusion was determined.\n\nThe first ransom note sent to TMZ demanded a sum of cryptocurrency “in the millions” to be paid, setting two deadlines for payment on Feb. 5 and 9.\n\nThe second ransom note, as reported by NBC last week, suggested Guthrie had died and did not demand payment for the return of her body.\n\nThe official said that to test the authenticity of the first ransom communication — and possibly trace the demands back to the perpetrators — the FBI deposited a small amount of cryptocurrency into the account as instructed, but it remained untouched, the outlet reported.\n\n[Since the deposit was never taken out of the account,](https://nypost.com/2026/02/11/us-news/nancy-guthrie-ransom-bitcoin-account-receives-152-payment/) in addition to other unspecified means, the FBI concluded that the two ransom notes were sent by an individual who was not connected to Guthrie’s disappearance, the official said.\n\nThe anonymous source also said the FBI determined that the third note sent to TMZ last week that claimed to know the identities of Guthrie’s abductors was not authentic — but did not specify how that conclusion was drawn.\n\nThe Post reached out to the FBI but did not immediately hear back.\n\n*With Post wires*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report", "canonical_source": "https://nypost.com/2026/07/01/us-news/fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report/", "published_at": "2026-07-01 04:24:51+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-01 04:27:52.109853+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-safety"], "entities": ["FBI", "Nancy Guthrie", "Savannah Guthrie", "TMZ", "Reuters", "NBC", "The New York Post"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/fbi-determines-ransom-notes-in-nancy-guthrie-abduction-are-not-genuine-report.jsonld"}}