Hamilton by claiming he has lost his ATM card.

The man has approached several people around Church Street and Burnaby Hill and at City Hall, claiming he needs money for a bus or taxi to Somerset or Southampton.

The cheat, who is pretending he is a lawyer from California, was rumbled when he peddled the same story to a Hamilton office worker two days running.

The worker found the fraudster had tried to scam several colleagues in his office with similar stories. He also tried the same routine on a Royal Gazette reporter.

Police said they were unaware of the man's activities. A Police source confirmed that a man identified to The Royal Gazette as the fraudster is a well-known criminal with a long record of convictions.

A Police spokesman said: "We have had no information about this happening, but now our patrols in the area are going to be keeping a look-out for suspicious behaviour like that.'' The con man is described as a well-dressed black man, about six-feet, two-inches tall and quite lean.