Watch the latest episode of our exclusive interview between actor and comedian John Cleese and private investigator turned whistleblower Daniel “Danno” Hanks.
Danno recently hit the news for coming clean about targeting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for the tabloids, and in our exclusive new interview series goes into detail about some of his most high profile targets, including John Cleese himself!
In this episode, Danno tells John how he illegally targeted Meghan Markle, and sold her private confidential information to the tabloids.
TRANSCRIPT
John Cleese: What other confidential information did you get apart from these Social Security numbers? What else?
Danno Hanks: Let’s use Meghan Markle as an example.
JC: Good.
CARD: IN 2021 DANNO FAMOUSLY WENT PUBLIC WITH CLAIMS THAT HE UNLAWFULLY SOLD CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE TO THE SUN NEWSPAPER
BBC REPORTER: Talk us through what happened then.
DH: They wanted Meghan Markle. They wanted a full background on her. I could get their full social security numbers. Dates of birth. Every address they ever lived at. Everything.
By having her Social Security number, they were able to blag and say, “Oh, I lost my credit card bill. I need to get my copy of my records or my telephone records.” And they look over that. “Oh, she stated such and such a hotel and ordered room service for two.”
JC: So they get a blagger who could sound a bit like her?
DH: They don’t even have to sound like her because the people on the other end of the phone, they’re like robots. They don’t they don’t realise it’s a celebrity. Back then, her name wasn’t even famous yet.
JC: I see.
DH: So it would rarely happen that the person on the other end of the line would even know you were a celebrity.
JC: Oh, I see.
DH: Because many times, this information… the databases that hold that information are outsourced to like to the Philippines, to India or Pakistan. And you have a communication problem as it is, but they don’t know who you are.
You know, I know a blagger in London very well. And he said that when he was blagging -because he could do any accent at all -he said that when he was blagging, the one thing that always worked was to pretend he was really stupid.
DH: Well, that actually, that does work.
JC: Well, that’s another dark look into the murky recesses of how the British press gets a lot of its stories. And we will be doing another one soon. Thank you, Danno.
CARD: “In 2016, The Sun made a legitimate request of Mr Hanks to research contact details and addresses for Meghan Markle and possible relatives using legal databases which he had a license to use. He was paid $250.
“Mr Hanks was not tasked to do anything illegal or breach any privacy laws – indeed he was instructed clearly in writing to act lawfully and he signed a legal undertaking that he would do so. The information he provided could not and did not raise any concerns that he had used illegal practices to obtain the information.
“At no time did the Sun request the social security number of Meghan Markle, nor use the information he provided for any unlawful practice. The Sun abides by all laws and regulations and maintains strict protocols in relation to the obtaining of information from third parties. Strict compliance is in place to cover all our reporting.” – SPOKESPERSON FOR NEWS UK
