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
Goliath Ventures Inc & Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP): Ignored Warning, $190K Repayment
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
I warned them — in writing — months before the collapse. What followed wasn’t confusion or a missed email. It was silence. And now, through bankruptcy filings and a court-approved settlement, the money trail tells a very different story about Goliath Ventures Inc and the Orlando Economic Partnership.
*POLLS*
*Ignored warning or just “missed the email”? What really happened here?*
Ignored it completely (35%)
“Top Investor” blinded them (35%)
Didn’t want to know (25%)
Spam folder excuse (5%)
Poll complete: 20 votes
*THE WARNING*
On September 21, 2025, I sent a formal email to the Orlando Economic Partnership. It was detailed, direct, and backed by evidence. I outlined concerns that Goliath Ventures was operating as a crypto-based Ponzi scheme — fixed returns, no verifiable trading, and growing concern from victims and whistleblowers.
I warned them clearly: by listing Goliath as a “Top Investor,” they were lending credibility to something that didn’t add up. I recommended they remove the listing and carry out proper due diligence.
The email was received.
There was no response.
*THE CREDIBILITY SIGNAL*
At the time, Goliath Ventures continued to appear on their website as a trusted contributor. That kind of association matters. It signals legitimacy to outsiders — especially investors who assume someone has done the checks.
What wasn’t visible then is now confirmed.
Goliath Ventures paid $200,000 for a top-tier membership. That wasn’t organic credibility. It was purchased positioning — visibility, association, and perceived trust.
That’s how these operations often work. When the business model doesn’t stand up, money gets redirected into external validation.
*THE STORY BREAKS*
Months later, the situation reached the media. A report confirmed the Orlando Economic Partnership had received my warning — and failed to act.
The article quoted my email and confirmed the timeline. It also confirmed something just as important: the warning wasn’t hidden. It was sent to leadership and copied widely across the organisation.
And then came silence.
By the time this became public, the damage had already been done. The endorsement remained in place during the period when the scheme was still attracting participants.
*THE COURT STEPS IN*
The next phase doesn’t come from marketing or media. It comes from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
In the filing, the Receiver states he “quickly identified meaningful evidence that a Ponzi scheme was perpetrated” through Goliath Ventures.
That’s not speculation. That’s a legal finding based on financial investigation.
At that point, the focus shifts from what was promised to what actually happened to the money.
*FOLLOWING THE MONEY*
One key transaction stands out — a $200,000 payment to the Orlando Economic Partnership.
Not for investment. Not for trading.
For membership.
The filing makes it clear there was no meaningful interaction beyond that transfer. It wasn’t an operational relationship. It was a one-way transaction tied to visibility.
Money out — credibility in.
*THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK*
Once a Ponzi structure is identified, recovery begins.
Under the Ponzi presumption, transfers made during the scheme can be challenged. The Receiver can attempt to claw back funds, even from recipients who weren’t directly involved.
The likely defence is good faith — that the payment was accepted without knowledge of wrongdoing.
But there’s a counterpoint.
A payment for visibility may not represent real value — especially when viewed against creditor losses.
That’s where the tension sits.
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.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
DANNY DE HEK
DANNY DE HEK