Police say scammers operating around the streets of Napier and Hastings trying to elicit money from people with hard-luck stories are not a growing trend but advise residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour.
Yesterday a woman who did not want to be named said her 70-year-old husband was accosted outside the ANZ bank in Havelock North.
"He was parked in the car outside the bank and a car pulled up behind him, blocking him in.
"A woman got out and tapped on the window and said she was a diabetic and asked for money to pay for her prescriptions."
Her husband told the woman he did not have any cash on him and she left, after which he rang the police.