Amid the ongoing search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, an expert in cryptocurrency recovery says the alleged kidnapper made a big mistake with the ransom note.
Amidst the search for Nancy Guthrie, a crypto recovery expert spots a critical flaw in her alleged kidnapper’s ransom note. The deadline for the $6 million bitcoin demand has passed, with law enforcement actively pursuing all leads. (Savannah Guthrie/Instagram)In an interview with Page Six, Bezalel Ethan Raviv, CEO and founder of crypto recovery firm Lionsgate Network, said the man who authored the alleged ransom note “showed his Achilles to everyone who understands blockchain forensics.”
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What was wrong? Crypto experts weigh inAccording to TMZ, it received the ransom note last week, demanding $6 million in bitcoin along with a bitcoin wallet address. The outlet confirmed that the wallet address was authentic.
Raviv commented that this was the most important mistake made by the alleged kidnapper.
“Whenever cybercriminals offer their wallet addresses where they basically expose themselves in many ways,” he noted, his firm has successfully recovered funds by transferring small amounts to cryptocurrency wallets “to see where it comes from.”
Raviv says the problem lies in the persistent misconceptions surrounding cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. “Most people still, in 2026, don’t believe you can trace crypto,” he said.
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Nancy Guthrie’s ransom payment expiresHowever, the final deadline to pay the ransom expired on Monday and it is still unclear whether the Guthrie family has paid the alleged kidnapper.
Earlier, Pima County officials suspected that Nancy may have been abducted or abducted from her residence in Tucson, Arizona on January 31st. After deputies arrived at the location, they found what they called “contiguous evidence” and are treating the home as a possible crime scene.
Several media organizations received the alleged ransom letters last week. At least one of these letters included financial demands and deadlines for payment. The initial deadline ended last Thursday, while the next deadline was set for Monday.
Law enforcement officials refrained from verifying the authenticity of the note. However, they said all leads are being thoroughly investigated.
