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
12 Questions 'How To Be Brilliant' Michael Heppell
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You're listening to Danny, on WHAT : DE HEK podcast. This is the place where I share my experience, knowledge and skills.
Transcribed by Otter
Danny de Hek 0:01
Welcome along Michael Heppell. I've got your name right. Usually I get people to introduce themselves because they can't. So we've got Michael all the way from the UK. We just had a bit of a chat before we went live. And he said that it's nice talking to people on the bottom of the earth or hanging on for dear life. We will get straight into it. We got 12 questions they kind of random I know what they are, but I don't know what the next question is. So the first question is, what was your first job?
Michael Heppell 0:31
I was a roofing contractor, because my dad was a roofing contractor. And he said, when I was nine years old, son, one day this will all be yours. And when you're nine years old, the prospect of owning two vans and six ladders is quite exciting, Danny. So I was like, Oh, I'm going to be a roofer. So I left school as quickly as I could. I left school when I was 15. And I started to be a roofer. And after about a week, I realised that made a terrible decision. Definitely, definitely should not have decided to be a roofer. So I am so then I did I did the job, but I did it for six years. Didn't apprenticeship learned how to put roofs on and then started to follow my passion. So that was the first job I was a roofer. Like if you would like somebody to come along, give you a nice job with a roof estimates are always free.
Danny de Hek 1:30
My father, my stepfather was a painter and I finished up being a house painter, the ten years.
Michael Heppell 1:35
There you go.
Danny de Hek 1:36
You have to follow your family instinct sometimes, but for a week well done.
Michael Heppell 1:43
It was a week. It was a week that I before we asked, I didn't want to do it. But I did it for six years. I was 22 when I stopped.
Danny de Hek 1:52
Oh, any mishaps along the way because
Michael Heppell 1:55
There are loads loads. I had a really bad fall once. I am actually the weird thing was I once fell off a roof that was three storeys high, fell right from the top landed in the garden and there wasn't anything not a scratch. I looked at I looked at my mates. And they were just all absolutely double up laughing. They thought it was hilarious. I had fallen off. And then another time I felt one story, but I had slates on my shoulder well, late, and I fell and they slashed my hands and my wrists. And I was in a pretty bad way after that one didn't wasn't quite sure what I wanted to go back to work. But I did. And I recovered. Or I've got all six fingers
See Full TXT Script at https://www.dehek.com/general/podcast/what-de-hek-podcast-12-questions-with-michael-heppell
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