Two women aged 85 and 62 have been attacked by a man posing as a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer.
The man produced a fake police badge
The man called at a house on Lumb Lane in Audenshaw in the early hours, claiming a car had been broken into.
Once inside he grabbed the 85-year-old woman, grabbing her by the throat and punching her in the face. The other woman was pushed to the floor.
The man then stole a handbag and ran off. Both women were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.
Detectives are now appealing for information to help trace the offender and to advise householders of steps they can take to avoid falling victim to this sort of crime.
The man is described as white, aged 25-30 and about 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in.
He was of stocky build with dark brown hair and was wearing a denim blue baseball cap with dark lettering on the front and a white t-shirt with splashes of blue colour on.
He may also have been wearing leather gloves and produced a fake police badge.
Det Sgt Simon Murphy said: "Genuine police officers do not enter people's homes without permission and always carry a warrant card to prove their identity.
"The card has a photo of the officer, the officer's name and also their collar number.
"It also carries the GMP logo and the signature of the chief constable," he added.
"If a member of the public is uncertain about the validity of the identification they should contact police and verify the officer's collar number."