Police want Dubbo parents to educate their children about stranger danger after an older man allegedly offered lollies and games to young boys in exchange for a conversation.
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About 12.30pm on Saturday the man stopped his white ute near the boys on Jack William Drive.
Inspector Paul Stephens said the boys knew "it wasn't right" when the man tried to have a conversation with them by offering lollies and games.
"They've told him to go away and ran to a friend's place in the Eastridge area," Inspector Stephens said.
"It was reported relatively soon after it happened.
"The police actually spoke with the kids before the parents had got there, because they'd gone to a friend's place and a concerned neighbour in the area has actually approached one of the kids because they were concerned the boys appeared lost."
The man was described as being in his early twenties with short, dark, spiky hair. He was driving a white ute, with distinctive grey or silver doors and a large toolbox on the tray.
This incident follows a similar one in April when a girl was reportedly approached while she was waiting to catch a school bus on the Golden Highway in Dubbo.
"People need to make their kids aware of stranger danger and what actions they should take," Inspector Stephens said.
In response to community members questioning on Facebook why police informed the community of the incident on Monday instead of Saturday, Inspector Stephens said police always needed to "get correct information to stop knee-jerk reactions".
"Getting it out there early is good, but at the same time we want to make sure the information is correct before we do get it out there," he said.
"If people have got something to report, report it directly to us rather than through third parties or through social media."
Inspector Stephens said reporting crime directly to police allowed investigations to occur properly, without relying on rumours and innuendo.
