PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville man has been arrested in connection with a fraud scheme that cost two Putnam County residents over the age of 70 more than $268,000, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said the victims were targeted after one received a fraudulent pop-up alert in September that appeared to be from Microsoft. The alert instructed her to call a phone number, where scammers claimed her computer was compromised.
Authorities said the victim was then told to call the customer service number on the back of her debit card. Investigators said that call was intercepted through phone number spoofing, allowing a scammer posing as a bank employee to convince the victims their accounts were under federal investigation for child pornography found on their computer. The victims were instructed not to tell anyone.
Investigators said the victims were directed to withdraw large sums of money and convert it into Bitcoin and physical gold, based on false claims that the steps were necessary to protect their retirement savings. As part of the scheme, the victims purchased gold coins that were later picked up from their home by an unknown man.
After the victim’s husband photographed this man and his vehicle during one of the pickups, investigators identified Tulasi Ram Timsina of Nashville.
Deputies arrested Timsina on Dec. 10 on a charge of financial exploitation of an elderly adult. His bond was set at $200,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 12, 2026.
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