DANNY DE HEK
Scammers rely on silence. We make noise.
Welcome to the Avengers Anti-Fraud Alliance, led by Danny de Hek, a New Zealand investigative journalist whose work exposing scams, Ponzi schemes, MLMs and financial fraud has been featured by The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, ABC Australia, RNZ and others.
This podcast takes you inside real investigations.
We follow the money, identify the people behind fraudulent operations, examine corporate records, court documents, blockchain transactions, marketing material, leaked communications and digital evidence — then put what we find into the public record.
Some investigations begin with a victim contacting me. Others start with an anonymous tip, a suspicious Zoom meeting, a cryptocurrency wallet, a court filing, or an Avenger somewhere in the world saying: “Danny, you need to look at this.”
The Avengers Anti-Fraud Alliance brings together researchers, whistleblowers, victims and ordinary people who are tired of watching scammers operate without scrutiny.
Patreon helps fund that work and gives supporters a closer look behind the investigations — including updates, evidence, developing stories and material that doesn't always fit into a YouTube video.
I don't accept payment to remove investigations. I don't sell reputation management. And when someone I investigate disagrees with my reporting, I give them the opportunity to respond.
The objective is simple:
Investigate. Analyse. Expose. Protect.
If you're a victim, whistleblower or you've discovered something that deserves investigating, get in touch.
Scams thrive in darkness. The Avengers turn on the lights.
DANNY DE HEK
Robert Rolls and Afirmo NZ Ltd: An Unsolicited Email, Two Domains, and Unanswered Questions
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On 12 December 2025 at 8:13 PM, I received an unsolicited commercial email from Robert Rolls, identifying himself as Founder and Chief Executive of Afirmo NZ Ltd. I had no prior relationship with him or the company, had not requested contact, and had not consented to receive marketing of any kind.
THE EMAIL ARRIVES
The message was promotional and lacked an unsubscribe mechanism. Under New Zealand law, a single unsolicited commercial email can be unlawful if it does not meet basic requirements around consent, sender identification, and opt-out. That omission mattered, and it prompted a closer look.
THE DOMAIN THAT DIDN’T MATCH
The email did not come from afirmo.com, the company’s established domain. It was sent from robertr@winafirmo.com, a domain registered just weeks earlier and not referenced anywhere on Afirmo’s official website. When accessed, that domain redirected to an unrelated third-party site with no visible connection to accounting or tax services. Domain provenance matters, especially in regulated environments.
TECHNICAL CHECKS
A WHOIS and DNS review showed the two domains were registered, hosted, and configured independently. The established domain dates back to 2017; the newer domain was registered in late September 2025. These differences don’t prove misconduct on their own, but they are relevant to questions of sender identification and traceability.
SEEKING CLARITY
Before publishing anything, I attempted to verify the situation and provide a right of reply. I phoned the publicly listed office number, called the mobile number associated with Mr Rolls, left voicemail messages, and sent written questions by email. One response arrived from the newer domain, asserting compliance and “deemed consent,” but it did not answer where my email address was sourced, why a separate domain was used, or why no unsubscribe was included.
INDUSTRY CONTEXT
In my reporting on electronic spam, I’ve repeatedly encountered a pattern where companies outsource cold outreach to third-party lead generators and use secondary domains to protect the reputation of their primary brand. When issues arise, responsibility still sits with the company whose services are being promoted.
THE LEGAL CONTEXT
Even where “deemed consent” is claimed, New Zealand law still requires a functional unsubscribe mechanism. The facts here are simple and observable: the message was unsolicited, the domain was not publicly associated with the company, and no opt-out was provided.
REFERRAL TO REGULATORS
Given the lack of resolution, I referred the matter to the Department of Internal Affairs, providing the original email, full headers, and a timeline of correspondence. The referral itself is now a matter of record.
ON THE RECORD
This investigation documents verifiable facts and unanswered questions. It does not allege fraud or criminality. If clarification is provided on the record—about the domain used, the source of my email address, or the absence of an unsubscribe—it will be published in full.
The Avengers Anti-Fraud Alliance is a community supporting independent investigations into scams, Ponzi schemes, MLMs, crypto fraud and the people behind them.
Led by New Zealand investigative journalist Danny de Hek, the Avengers help uncover information, connect victims, analyse evidence and expose schemes that deserve public scrutiny.
We investigate. We expose. We protect.
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DANNY DE HEK
DANNY DE HEK