Some residents in the St. James area say they’re concerned about door to door deception after someone tried to sell them water treatment systems.

For Jennifer Dunham, the knock on her Roseberry St. door came Tuesday afternoon, with a stranger trying to sell her a water treatment solution.

“He kept going on about copper in the water and how there was chlorine in the water and that he wanted to go check it out,” said Dunham.

Dunham said the man told her he was connected to the city of Winnipeg.

“Water and waste is what he kept saying, so we asked to see I.D. to see proof that he was who he was,” said Dunham.

The man failed to produce the identification, prompting Dunham and her brother to contact the city with him standing at the door.

He then took off, and Dunham went on to report the activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The City of Winnipeg said it’s aware some residents have been approached by private companies claiming to provide water testing or treatments that are “city approved.”

Tim Shanks is the city of Winnipeg’s manager of water services, and called the activity “upsetting” and “concerning.”

“We don’t at any time sell anything door-to-door,” said Shanks. “The city doesn’t endorse or require or recommend any kind of additional treatment at that point of use.”

If city employees make door-to-door contact, Shanks said they should be carrying photo identification, wear city-created uniforms and drive a city vehicle.

Marian Henry with the Better Business Bureau also advised consumers should ask door-to-door salespeople for identification tying them to a company or business as well as credentials from Manitoba’s Consumer Protection Office.

“Anyone that is selling door to door should be holding a direct sellers’ license when they come onto your property,” said Henry.

Concerned consumers can report suspicious activity to the Better Business Bureau, Winnipeg Police Service or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Consumer Protection Office said, “Consumers who enter into direct sales agreements with unlicensed direct sellers have a year to cancel the contract. Consumers who make a purchase from a licensed direct seller have 10 days to cancel a purchase by giving notice of cancellation at the address indicated on the direct sales contract. Consumers do not need to have a reason for canceling, but they must give notice of cancellation by a method that will allow them to prove that notice was given within the cancellation period.”