A council has warned people to be vigilant after a spate of thefts by a gang of bogus council tax bailiffs.
Wirral Council said one pensioner was conned out of £400 by the "extremely plausible" group.
Council officials said that legitimate bailiffs would not arrive unexpectedly. They urged people to carry out proper checks before handing over money.
Malcolm Flanagan, assistant director of finance said the thieves were "callous and extremely confident".
"If anyone posing as a bailiff comes to the front door, even if they have identification, do not let them in or hand over money until you have checked that they are genuine," he said.
"Our genuine bailiffs will wait while these checks are made."
Householders who receive a visit from genuine bailiffs will already have had several notifications by post, the council said.
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