In recent days, my post Redemption, Restitution, and Responsibility triggered unexpected reactions—including a very public backlash from one of the individuals it indirectly referred to: Alex Wood.
The original post raised a question many of us in the counter-fraud community are quietly asking: Are we scrutinising the redemption narratives of former fraudsters with enough care, or are we allowing slick rebrands to bypass accountability?
Rather than answering that question through reasoned debate, Alex Wood chose to respond with a barrage of public insults, personal taunts, and threats of legal action—comments that many observers flagged as aggressive, unprofessional, and damaging to the very victims he claims to now support. In contrast, I’ve chosen not to escalate and instead reflect on what this episode teaches us.
When the Messenger Becomes the Message
At the heart of this conversation is a tension we cannot ignore. As survivor-advocates, our credibility depends on honesty, humility, and an unwavering commitment to victims. The moment any of us turns the spotlight inward—fuelled by ego, not service—we undermine the integrity of this entire space.
It’s not about whether someone deserves a second chance. It’s about how they use that second chance: To heal, or to hide?
In a recent interview with Panos Fellas on Radio Wah (see comments), Alex Wood reaffirms his background as a former classical musician. He states that he studied at the Purcell School, completed a year at the Royal College of Music, and another year at the Royal Academy of Music. These claims, while unverified in the public domain, were presented credibly in the interview and acknowledged by the host.
However, inconsistencies in his narrative remain. For example, Alex initially claims not to be in contact with any former inmates, only to later contradict himself by saying he is. Such discrepancies, alongside the gravity of the crimes he admits to—stealing £1.3 million from a business that was unable to pay its 40 staff, leading to severe harm for at least one victim—continue to raise serious questions about whether the version of himself being platformed today reflects true reform or something more performative.
If you are a fraud survivor or work in financial justice and want to share your views on this issue, feel free to get in touch.
http://www.aolp.co.uk | @RatBaggery | steve.conley@aolp.co.uk
About Get SAFE
Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) was born from a simple truth: too many victims of financial abuse are left to suffer in silence.
We exist for people like Ian—for the ones who did everything right, only to be failed by the systems they trusted. We know that behind every vanished pension, every ignored complaint, and every stonewalled letter is a person—frightened, exhausted, and too often alone.
Get SAFE offers more than sympathy. We offer structure, support, and solidarity.
We provide a voice where there’s been silence, and clarity where there’s been confusion.
We stand beside those who have been exploited, not just to help them recover—but to help them reclaim their story and rebuild their future.
Because financial justice is not a luxury.
It’s a human right.
If you or someone you know has been affected by financial exploitation, we are here.
You are not alone.
Learn more at: Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation).
Academy of Life Planning 
Scroll down to the 21st interview in this list: https://panosfellas.com/wah-radio/interviews/
It is Alex Wood being interviewed by his old housemaster at Purcell.
Housemaster calls him a prodigy and talks about him going to the Royal institutions and winning scholarships.
I don’t like the guy but it seems to stack up.
Gary