
At $10 million dollars, it’s the largest award ever offered by the U.S. Secret Service
The U.S. Secret Service, in partnership with the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of a wanted international fugitive.
This case marks the largest monetary award amount offered on behalf of the U.S. Secret Service to solicit assistance from the global public. 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 may 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 has 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. Try2Check is 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. Additionally, Try2Check victimized 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.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, said:
“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. 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.”
Congress established the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) in 2013 to enhance the U.S. government’s ability to disrupt and dismantle significant transnational criminal organizations. The program grants the Secretary of State statutory authority to offer rewards for information leading to the dismantling of these criminal organizations, as well as the arrests and/or convictions of their members and leaders who primarily operate outside the United States, and the disruption of the financial mechanisms that sustain these networks.
Wanted – Denis Gennadievich Kulkov!
ALIASES: Денис Геннадьевич Кульков, “Try2Check,” “Kreenjo,” “Nordex,” “Nordexin”
DOB: April 8, 1980
NATIONALITY: Russia
CITIZENSHIP: Russia
HEIGHT: 5’7”
WEIGHT: 170 lbs
HAIR COLOR: Black/Balding
EYE COLOR: Brown
U.S. SECRET SERVICE FIELD OFFICE: New York
Denis Gennadievich Kulkov case summary
On May 3, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York revealed a four-count indictment against Denis Gennadievich Kulkov for access device fraud, computer intrusion, and money laundering. Kulkov is accused of operating Try2Check, a service primarily used by cybercriminals in the stolen credit card trade to “card-check.”
Try2Check provided cybercriminals with a quick way to determine the validity of stolen credit card numbers bought and sold in bulk on the internet. The platform processed tens of millions of card numbers annually, playing a significant role in the trade of stolen credit card information.
According to the indictment, Kulkov founded Try2Check in 2005 and turned it into a primary tool for cybercriminals. Those who acquired large batches of stolen credit cards used Try2Check to check the cards and determine the percentage of active card numbers. The resulting data was then used to demonstrate the value of the stolen credit cards to potential buyers. In addition to victimizing credit card issuers and holders, Try2Check also misused the systems of a major U.S.-based payment processing company to perform the card checks.
Over the years, Try2Check conducted tens of millions of credit card checks annually. For instance, the site performed over 16 million checks in just nine months in 2018, and over 17 million checks in a 13-month period beginning in September 2021. Kulkov made at least $18 million in Bitcoin through the illegal operation of his websites, which he used to buy luxury items, including a Ferrari.
The prosecution of Kulkov is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Kulkov for participating in transnational organized crime.