Ok, here we go. Do you want to know the secret? Well, here it is.
It does not matter if someone shows up at your door, it is not relevant whether they email you or call you, and it does not matter if you are already working with a roofer you have checked out and trust. You are still a target.
Why? Because you might be about to spend the kind of money most people spend on a car. That is a huge reason for someone to try and take advantage of you.
So in this post, we are going to go over three simple steps that can protect you. These steps work not just for roofing contractors but for any contractor or business. After we go through those three steps, we will get into the details of why they work.
Three Simple Steps To Protect Yourself From Roofing Scams
Step 1: Stop the rush
The very first thing you need to do is slow everything down. Whether it is a knock on the door, a phone call, or an email, scammers rely on speed. They want you to feel like you have to make a choice right now.
Close the door. Hang up the phone. Do not reply to the email. It is as simple as that. Be polite if it works for you, but make it clear that you will not decide on the spot. Tell them you will look into it yourself, and then end the conversation.
Why is this so important? Because there are endless ways for someone to look legitimate when they are not. It is easy to spoof a phone number so it looks local. It is easy to make an email look like it came from a real business. Some companies are set up just for one summer, and the person you are talking to might not even be the person representing the company doing the work.
The best protection at that moment is to stop, walk away, and give yourself time to check things out on your own. No matter what they say, there is nothing that cannot wait a day. And remember, even trusted or certified insurance company recommended roofers are not automatically the best option. Many of those programs focus on the lowest cost, not necessarily the best long-term repair for your home.
If you are in a true emergency, like water actively pouring through your ceiling, focus on temporary damage control first. A good company will give you a clear price for just the emergency fix, nothing more, and that usually means tarping or patching so you can take a couple of days to do your research. Even in an emergency, you do not have to agree to a full roof replacement on the spot.
Step 2: Do your homework before you call anyone
Once you have slowed things down, the next best thing you can do is take control of who you contact. This takes you out of the scammer’s game. Instead of replying to an email or a phone call, you are the one doing the calling, on your terms.
Start with the basics. Look up the company name online. Do they have reviews on more than one site? Read those reviews, not just the stars. Does the owner reply to complaints or questions? A real company that has been around for a while leaves a trail. You can even use a free tool called the Wayback Machine to see how long their website has been online. Sometimes businesses re-do their website, but if their contact information and company name have been consistent for years, that is a good sign.
Do not be shy about learning a little about roofing so you know what you are talking about. We have a post here that goes over the basic parts of a roof in simple terms. Even a bit of knowledge helps you tell the difference between a pro and someone just throwing around fancy words. And if you want a checklist on what to ask and how to choose a roofer, we have a full guide here: How to hire a roofer in Calgary.
This advice is not just for the first call. Scams can happen at any point in a project. Even if you are already working with a contractor, you could still get a fake email saying that payment is due early or that the payment account has changed. Here at Whalley’s, we never mind if you pause and call us directly first. Use the number on our website or on Google, which is always the same (403) 288-8819. Never feel embarrassed to double check, we would rather you take two minutes to confirm than risk sending money to the wrong place.
When you are the one reaching out to a company you have researched, you are a lot harder to scam. An email link, a caller ID, even someone’s voice on the phone can be faked these days. A phone number or contact form you found yourself is much safer.
Step 3: Talk to them and trust what you learn
After you have slowed things down and done your research, pick up the phone and talk to the company yourself. A quick conversation can tell you a lot. Ask them straight questions about how they work, how long they have been in business, and how they handle payments.
For example, at Whalley’s we do not ask for deposits on regular residential work. We only ask for a deposit if the job is over fifty thousand dollars or for large commercial projects, and even then, it is a small percentage. We believe in earning trust by finishing the work and standing behind it.
Remember that hindsight is always clearer after the fact, but when you slow things down, you allow yourself the time to choose the right people. The good companies are sometimes busy, and waiting a little can be worth it.
Another sign of a good roofer is that they will insist on coming out to look at your roof in person. So much can be missed by a satellite photo or a drone. A proper inspection means someone physically getting up there and checking for hidden damage. That is how you avoid surprises later and how you find issues that insurance companies sometimes overlook.
It can feel like you are being taken advantage of when a roofer tells you that the work will cost more than what your insurance is willing to pay. But the honest ones explain everything up front. Doing the job right sometimes costs more than the bare minimum an insurance adjuster approves. A roofer who tells you this and shows you why is looking out for your home eventually, not just doing the cheapest possible patch.
By talking directly with the company, you will get a feel for how they work and if you can trust them. If something feels off, you can walk away and call someone else.
This loop never ends
One last thing to remember. These three steps are not something you do just once. You might get all the way to Step 3 and then something feels off again. When that happens, go right back to Step 1. Slow it down, do more research, and make another call.
Scams can show up at any point, even when you are already in the middle of a project with a contractor you know. If you ever get an unexpected request for payment or a sudden change in instructions, the safest move is to hang up or stop replying and call the company back using a number you trust.
This way of thinking works for more than just roofing. It applies to banking, online shopping, even text messages that look like they come from friends or family. Scams work because they use urgency and convenience to trick people into making quick decisions. Take away the rush, and you take away most of their power.
Why scams are so common today
There is a reason we keep talking about slowing down and doing your own research. Modern scams are not just someone calling you with a blocked number. The tools available today make it incredibly easy for a scammer to look and sound like the real thing.
With new technology, anyone can fake a phone number so it looks local. AI can copy voices, so a scammer can sound almost exactly like someone you know. Emails can be made to look like they came from a real business, right down to the logo, signature, and wording. And on the technical side there are tricks that make the internet you see different from what someone else sees. For example:
- Phishing emails – fake invoices or links that look exactly like the real company.
- DNS attacks – when your computer or router is compromised and quietly sends you to a fake version of a website.
- Redirect traps – links that take you to a site that looks real but is a copy designed to steal your info.
You think you are logging in or paying a bill on a safe page, but it is a copy.
And do not think this only happens to people who are not tech-savvy. It can happen to anyone. A good example, even if it is not roofing related, is what happened to Linus Tech Tips, one of the largest technology YouTube channels. Their whole channel was hacked because someone on the team opened a PDF that turned out to be a scam file. These are people who discuss computers and security all day, yet they still got caught off guard. It is not the same situation as a fake invoice or a phone scam, but it shows just how advanced and sneaky these attacks can be. If you are curious, you can watch their breakdown of the incident here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXaAWbzl5A
This is why Step 2 matters so much. When you are the one typing in a website address or making a call from a number you looked up yourself, you are in control. It takes you out of the fake link or fake phone call trap. Good cybersecurity on your devices helps too. Keep your computer and phone up to date, do not click links in emails you do not trust, and if you are not sure, take a pause.
The reality is that no matter how good security systems get, there will always be new tricks. The safest protection is you taking control of how and when you communicate. And even then, it can still happen.
The biggest thing to take away from all of this is that slowing down and taking control is your best defence. Scammers rely on pressure and speed. If you can pause, do your own research, and make the calls on your terms, you will avoid most of the tricks out there.
These three steps work for roofing, but they really work for any big purchase or service you need. The world we live in now makes it easy for someone to fake a voice, a website, or an email, so there is no shame in double-checking before you trust anyone. We would rather see people call us back to confirm than send money to the wrong place.
When it comes to your roof, we are here to answer your questions, explain your options, and do the work the right way. If you ever want advice, a proper inspection, or just to make sure you are talking to the real Whalley’s Four Seasons Roofing, reach out to us through our website at https://w4sr.ca/contact or call us at (403) 288‑8819.
