ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -  Several women have now reported to police that a man — a man they’ve never seen in their lives — has approached them in public and asked for a hug.

The affectionate bamboozler claims that he and his target are long lost buddies, that he’s from the “old neighborhood”.

After carrying on what one can only imagine is a somewhat stilted conversation, the man then asks for — and sometimes receives — a hug.

A hug for his birthday, the man claims.

It’s happened several times in recent days at local Schnucks markets.

But the hugger mugger ran into a big problem recently when he approached a woman at the Schnucks in Fairview Heights, Illinois, who not only refused the offer to get up close and personal with him but pulled out her phone and called police.

Police are now on the lookout for a white male in his 30′s or 40′s, 5’6″, weighing 170 lbs.

They believe he’s driving a silver Nissan sedan.