They caught him tan-hatted.

Hours after knocking off a Midtown bank Friday, a crook returned to near the scene of the crime wearing the same, tan fishing hat, police said — and it proved to be his downfall.

A Bryant Park security guard, who had been shown photos of the heist, said Leon Cole, 60, was unmistakable.

“How I recognized him was by his hat,” Eric Ledbetter said yesterday.

Earlier that morning, Cole entered the Emigrant Bank on East 42nd Street, according to a criminal complaint.

He allegedly passed a teller a demand note, and the teller gave him $424.

Police canvassing the area around the bank afterward passed out color photos of Cole from bank surveillance cameras.

The suspect later arrived at the park wearing the same hat.