U.S. Secret Service in partnership with the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a wanted international fugitive.
This case marks the largest monetary award amount offered on behalf of the U.S. Secret Service in soliciting assistance from the global public, according to secret police. The reward is offered in partnership with INL as part of the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP).
Individuals seeking to assist in this U.S. Secret Service-led investigation were advised to email mostwanted@usss.dhs.gov or contact their local U.S. Secret Service field office directly.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York recently announced the unsealing of a four-count indictment charging Denis Gennadievich Kulkov with access device fraud, computer intrusion and money laundering in connection with his operation of Try2Check, the primary service offering “card-checking” to cybercriminals in the stolen credit card trade.
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, Kulkov created Try2Check in 2005, building it into a primary tool of the illicit credit card trade. Try2Check offers cybercriminals the ability to quickly determine the validity of a stolen credit card number, either singly or in bulk. Try2Check has run tens of millions of credit card checks per year, and through the illegal operation of his websites, the defendant made at least $18 million in bitcoin and an unknown amount of profits through other payment mediums.
Try2Check victimised not only credit card issuers and holders, but also a major U.S.-based payment processing company whose systems Try2Check misused to perform the card checks. In coordination with the unsealing of the charging documents in this case, Try2Check’s websites were taken offline.
“The Secret Service today brings all we have to bear as we announce the largest award for a fugitive in agency history, wanted on charges brought forth as a result of a years-long investigation involving multiple U.S. and international law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. “The Secret Service remains at the forefront of investigative efforts into the darkest corners of the cybercriminal landscape, and our successes are due to our invaluable partnerships internationally and across the interagency. I thank all those involved in this investigation, as well as the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for sharing this immense priority and for designating this case eligible for the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.”
