Scam awareness
Strangers at the door: contractor and charity scams
Someone knocks offering repairs, landscaping, or a charity collection — takes your money, then disappears.
Reviewed September 2026
Warning signs
- A stranger knocks saying they "noticed" damage to your roof, driveway, or yard.
- They say they have leftover materials from a nearby job and can give you a deal "today only."
- They ask for a large cash deposit before starting any work.
- A person collecting for charity offers no identification, written receipt, or way to verify the organization.
- They pressure you to decide right now and won't leave a written estimate.
What to do
- Never pay a large deposit in cash to someone who knocked uninvited — real contractors do not work this way.
- Ask for a written estimate, a business card, and proof of insurance. A reputable contractor will wait.
- Tell them you need a day to get a second opinion. Any pressure to decide immediately is a warning sign.
- For charity collectors, ask for identification and offer to mail a check to the charity's official address instead.
- Check home repair contractors with your state's licensing board before hiring.
A real example
After a spring storm, two men knocked on Gerald's door offering to fix his gutters for a cash payment that day. They took the money and never returned. Asking for a written estimate first would have stopped it.
If it already happened
- If you paid and work was not completed or was done badly, report it to your state consumer protection office.
- Keep any receipts, contracts, or business cards as a record.
- File a report with the FTC (link below) and your local police.
Reassurance: being targeted is not your fault, and it happens to careful people every day. Acting quickly helps.
Honest tradespeople knock on doors too — the difference is they do not pressure you or demand cash on the spot. Taking a day to think, get a second quote, and check credentials is always the right move.
Report it or get help