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Danny de Hek

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Danny de Hek
Born (1970-01-19) January 19, 1970 (age 55)
Christchurch, New Zealand
OccupationsYouTuber, OSINT researcher
Websitehttps://www.dehek.com/

Danny de Hek (born 19 January 1970[citation needed]) is a New Zealand-based YouTuber and OSINT researcher who has published detailed investigations into alleged Ponzi schemes and cryptocurrency frauds.[1]

Early life

De Hek grew up as a member of a religious cult, from which he was later disassociated. He subsequently worked as an online drop shipper.[1]

Career

De Hek began investigating scams after because of a hoax email he saw in the late 2010s.[2] He later established a YouTube channel focused on investigating Ponzi schemes and high-risk online investment platforms. By 2023 he had produced more than 130 videos about crypto-related scams.[3]

In June 2025, following a U.S. Department of Justice announcement that eWorldTrade LLC had been charged with trafficking synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl, de Hek published reporting that linked eWorldTrade to the Pakistan-based company Intersys Limited (formerly known as Abtach), operated by Azneem Bilwani. Reporting by KrebsOnSecurity.com, the infosec news site run by journalist Brian Krebs, similarly connected Intersys and associated Pakistan-based networks to fentanyl-analog trafficking and large-scale online scam operations.[4][5]

Beginning in September 2025, de Hek published coverage claiming the Orlando-based firm Goliath Ventures, Inc., run by Christopher Delgado, as a crypto Ponzi scheme. Subsequent reporting found that Goliath Ventures had raised more than US$500 million from investors in Orlando, Ontario and the United Arab Emirates without registering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to solicit or manage investor funds.[6] In October 2025 the company filed a civil complaint against de Hek in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange County), seeking damages and injunctive relief. In November 2025, Goliath Ventures announced that it stopped all payouts to investors, citing that it was undergoing a "forensic audit."[7][8]

One of de Hek's most prominent investigations concerned HyperVerse (also known as HyperFund), a crypto investment firm co-founded by Australian entrepreneur Sam Lee. de Hek began publishing coverage on HyperVerse in February 2022, claiming the corporation was a Ponzi scheme.[1] The scheme subsequently collapsed, after which investors were no longer able to make withdrawals.[9] In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Lee with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud for orchestrating a US$1.89 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme.[10] The SEC simultaneously filed civil charges against Lee, alleging that HyperFund was a pyramid scheme with no real source of revenue other than funds received from investors.[9]

Defamation suits

de Hek has been the subject of several defamation actions brought by individuals he has investigated. In March 2023, Texas-based cryptocurrency promoter Stephen Andrew McCullah (who uses the name Steve McCullah) filed suit against de Hek in New Zealand's High Court, claiming YouTube videos de Hek had published about McCullah's activities involving Apollo crypto project were defamatory.[11] De Hek filed defences of truth, honest opinion, qualified privilege, and responsible public interest communication, and applied for security for costs.[11] McCullah discontinued the proceedings in June 2023.[11][12]

Associate Judge Owen Paulsen subsequently awarded de Hek indemnity costs of NZ$27,500, finding that McCullah had never intended to take the proceeding to trial and that the claim was brought not to vindicate his reputation but to stifle further publications—what the court characterised as a "gagging writ".[11][12]

Website removal

In June 2025, de Hek’s website, dehek.com, was taken offline after Shavez Ahmed Siddiqui (also known as Shavez Anwar) submitted complaints to the site’s hosting provider WP Engine. According to de Hek, the takedown occurred without prior notice and followed his reporting on HyperVerse-related figures.[13] An independent report by BehindMLM noted that Siddiqui had previously attempted to have de Hek’s content removed from other online platforms.[14]

Allegations of coercive behaviour and disputes with journalists

In July 2025, journalist Be Scofield, known for her reporting on cults and for investigations cited in major outlets including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, People and The Washington Post, published an article in Guru Magazine alleging that de Hek had engaged in “abusive” and “manipulative” conduct during his coverage of the SmartLab investment scheme.[15]

Scofield wrote that de Hek had published the names and private emails of individuals who attended a SmartLab event, including one woman who said she had spent months attempting to dissuade a client from investing in the scheme. According to Scofield, the woman stated that de Hek “held” her “reputation hostage” and “coerced” her into issuing a public statement under her real name in exchange for the removal of private correspondence from his website, which she described as a form of “blackmail”.[15]

Scofield further alleged that de Hek’s behaviour had previously led to him being disinvited from a New Zealand “DeCult” conference run by journalist and author Anke Richter, citing concerns about his treatment of former cult survivors.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c Segal, David (11 November 2022). "The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Christchurch's 'Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger'". Otago Daily Times. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  3. ^ "The Kiwi YouTuber taking down the crypto scammers from his Christchurch home". RNZ News. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  4. ^ "U.S. Online Marketplace Operator Charged with Trafficking Deadly Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than Fentanyl" (Press release). United States Department of Justice. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  5. ^ Krebs, Brian (29 May 2025). "Pakistani Firm Shipped Fentanyl Analogs, Scams to U.S." KrebsOnSecurity. Archived from the original on 2025-05-29. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  6. ^ Jamail, Dahr. "Goliath Ventures' Chris Delgado built a $500 million fraud on fake promises". dahrjamail.net. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Goliath Ventures Payouts Stop: Insiders Pull 10's of Millions While Everyone Else Waits". deHek.com. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  8. ^ "Goliath Ventures Update to Investors". Mailchimp. Archived from the original on 2025-11-30. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  9. ^ a b "SEC Charges Founder of $1.7 Billion "HyperFund" Crypto Pyramid Scheme and Top Promoter with Fraud" (Press release). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Three Individuals Charged for Roles in $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme" (Press release). United States Department of Justice. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d Dierick, Jamie (8 September 2023). "YouTuber awarded costs after entrepreneur makes frivolous defamation claim". The Law Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  12. ^ a b "McCullah v De Hek [2023] NZHC 2230". New Zealand Legal Information Institute. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  13. ^ "They Tried to Silence Me – Google Shield Is Now Protecting My Website". dehek.com. 14 June 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Shavez Anwar takes down DeHek, threatens Bloomberg & BehindMLM". BehindMLM. 14 June 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  15. ^ a b c "Danny De Hek Accused of Reckless and Abusive Behavior When Reporting on Scams". The Guru Magazine. 2025-07-06. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
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