There have been reports regarding door to door pedlars behaving in an aggressive confrontational manner in the Lyme Green and Sutton areas.
Whilst there are no warnings for Henbury, Macclesfield East & Sutton Police have issued some useful advice.
The callers may claim to be ex-convicts attempting to mend their ways, however they are not part of any rehabilitation scheme and are often known criminals.
Police have urged people to warn their neighbours, particularly elderly or vulnerable, not to open the door to strangers or buy or sell on the doorstep.
Some doorstep callers may offer poor quality goods at inflated prices and if a caller is not genuine they may be gathering information for future crime.
They may show a card which claims to be a 'Pedlars Licence' or work permit but these are not valid and they are breaking the law if using them.
A bag of household products is supplied by someone who employs them, including typical tea-towels.
They are charged for the contents but they can keep whatever they make above this amount.
Usually, they are deposited in an area from a transit van and given a list of streets to work through.
An hour so later, they are picked up and dropped off in another location.
They often work 9am to 9pm.
They will knock on the door offering cleaning products which they know are cheap and of very poor quality. Many people will purchase items and pay out of their 'good nature' as they have fallen for the story or, just to get rid of them.
There have been cases of elderly residents handing over large sums as these people can be very persistent, confrontational and also abusive if they get no sale.
The public are being encouraged to turn doorstep callers away and report any such activity to the police on 101.