FOLEY, Ala. — If somebody asks you to send money in order to receive money, it’s probably a scam.

So said a Foley Police Department investigator this week who has been working a Jamaican Lottery scam since June 2009.

Cpl. Tony Nelson was part of an undercover operation that was eventually played out in Port St. Lucie, Fla., that led to the arrest of Stanley Walker, now being held in the Baldwin County Corrections Center on a $350,000 bond.

Walker was arrested on one count of second-degree theft of property and one count of first-degree theft of property on warrants from Foley Police Department.

According to a news release issued Tuesday by FPD, Walker, who allegedly presented himself as a representative of the Jamaican Lottery organization, fought extradition from the State of Florida and a governor’s warrant was obtained. Walker was transported to Baldwin County from Ft. Pierce, Fla., on October 25, 2009.

According to Nelson, the two victims in the cases he worked lost $400,000 and $68,000 to the scam. He noted that both victims were elderly.

The release from FPD noted that such scams typically target senior citizens with promises that they have won a lottery. Victims are asked to send money by Western Union or Money Gram to a specified location, the money allegedy for taxes on the winnings or for transfer fees. When victims send money, scammers typically call back with new fees that are due and request that more money be sent.

According to Nelson, the victim that lost $400,000 to the scam sent more than 130 Money Grams ranging from $500 to $3,500 to the scammers.

As the release noted, the process continues until the victim runs out of money. In the Foley cases, after victims discontinued sending money, the scammers made threats of violence toward them although no violent acts occurred.

During his investigation, Nelson said he had occasion to pose as one of the victim’s relatives and spoke with one of the Jamaicans. Out of that conversation an undercover operation was initiated.

Nelson agreed to meet someone from the lottery organization and refused to send any more money by wire transfer. A meeting was set up at a hotel in Port St. Lucie. While Nelson said he never left the State of Alabama, he made the alleged scammer think he was bringing $10,000 down to him.

On July 22, 2009, investigators with the Port St. Lucie Sheriff’s Department met Walker and arrested him on the Foley warrants. The two charges arose from previous money transfers that Walker allegedy received from one of the victims.

Nelson is working with the U.S. Secret Service and the Jamaican Operations Linked Telemarketing Task Force (JOLT) in the investigation to stop future scams.

“The very least a person should do if they’re asked to send money to receive money is contact their local police department,” Nelson said.

Stanley Samuel Walker, 71, is shown on the Baldwin County Corrections Center Web site as being from Ft. Pierce, Fla.