Former credit card scammer turned motivational speaker visit students at Dunbar High School

A man is using his life struggles to set students up for success. Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs spoke alongside a former scammer turned motivational speaker.

Now, Victor Woods is a motivational speaker. He once ripped people off in one of the nation’s largest credit card scams before spending 14 years in prison.

Now, he’s inspiring students and advising them not to give up. And the students told him that they want to stand up for what’s right with their future careers.

“I really want to work to stop the like, stop any other little girls from getting hurt and the other little boys,” said one of the students.

“For justice,” another student said.

“I wanted to be a police officer is that my dad was a police officer but in Mexico,” said one student.

“I’d like to join law enforcement. So I can stop bullying in schools and elementary school.”

A group of well-performing students got some real-world insight from Woods.

“So you said you’ve been in jail twice,” one student asked. Woods said, “Twice in prison. Prison twice, right.”

Victor spent 14 years behind bars for a $40 million credit card fraud scheme. “The main thing is, you know, I turn that around, and life is obstacles, you’re going to have them too. So the best thing you can do if I had had my mind in a positive place when I was your age, my entire life would have been different,” said Woods.

Wood encouraged all of the students, regardless of their background. “Never ever give up. But prepare yourself,” Woods said.

These students are preparing themselves for their future in law enforcement by also getting to speak to FMPD Chief Diggs about how they can achieve their career goals.

“We have all these various programs from the police explorer to young L.E.O.’s, the community service advisors, to police cadet program, we have all these different programs that we can get you in. That will be a stepping stone to get you into the police academy,” said Chief Diggs.

Victor Woods also teaches classes in prisons and jails, encouraging people not to give up on themselves. He has a book available titled “A Breed Apart.”