Hastings police are appealing for public help in tracking a man they say befriends elderly, or vulnerable people, and later bullies, then steals from them.
As well as threatening and intimidating people he has approached, and on occasions followed home, the man is also said to have made sexual advances towards elderly women.
Police said the man was "shrewd'' and "cunning'' in the way he targeted people.
Senior Constable Sue Guy said police had received several complaints about the man _ two in the past week.
He appeared to target people he believed would not make a fuss or a complaint.
"He has been known to befriend people with psychiatric problems or the intellectually disabled,'' Ms Guy said. "He picks on the most vulnerable members of our society.''
The man, described as Maori, aged in his 50s with longish grey hair, about 1.75m tall and of medium build, would strike up a conversation with mainly elderly people and sometimes follow them home.
"He will then bully his victims into giving him money and threaten to harm them if they do not,'' Ms Guy said.
The man had been known to approach people on the street, in shops or in clubs.
Police want to hear from anyone who had encountered the man recently.
"We know the elderly are sometimes reluctant to call police, but we would urge anyone who has had dealings with this man to contact us immediately and give us as much information as possible about him,'' Ms Guy said.
He was known to frequent the Frimley area, but incidents had also been reported in the central city and other areas of Hastings.
- Roger Moroney, Hawke's Bay Today
