Police in Halifax and Kentville, N.S., have issued a warning about people masquerading as child protection workers following two separate incidents in recent days.

In one case, a Dartmouth woman told police that three people, a man and two women, came to her door.

"They just said something to the effect of she needed to clean up her apartment or she was at risk of losing her child," Halifax Regional Police Const. Dianne Woodworth said.

"They didn't say they were going to take the child and that was pretty much the extent of it."

In Kentville, a woman was approached over social media. She reported the encounter to town police.

Acting Kentville Police Chief Ken Reade said the social media post appeared to use the name of a legitimate social worker. Real child protection workers, however, would go to the person's house.

"No one knows who's actually behind the keyboard when they're talking on social media," Reade said. "If it is something like this, that important, and those individuals are going to come and see you directly."

Reade and Woodworth both say that if legitimate child protection workers do come to a person's home, they must be able to show proper government ID.