| Suspicious Ads |
Most ads on Kijiji and Kijiji Autos are posted by genuine sellers. However, when you are buying or selling online, it’s important to know how to recognize suspicious ads. There are a few warning signs to watch out for.
In order to try and lure people into their scam, fraudsters will offer a deal that’s hard to refuse. They are likely to offer recent or popular models at a fraction of the cost of similar vehicles. They usually have low kilometers, are in great condition, and have never had any issues. If any vehicle seems to be too good a deal, be cautious.
If you’re selling the vehicle, they may offer you more than asking price, or may want to buy everything you have for sale all at once. They may even offer extra if you remove the ad right away to “ensure the sale”.
In most cases, fraudsters don’t actually have the vehicle they’re selling. Instead, they pull photos from online. They often choose the best quality photos, that are the most likely to convince you to buy. One quick method to check if the photos are genuine is to do a quick image search.
Note: While stock images can be a bad sign, they don’t necessarily mean an ad is a scam. Genuine sellers do sometimes use images from online, especially if the item is new. Don’t worry unless you see other red flags as well. If you’re unsure, you can always request original photos.
Fraudsters will often request that you leave Kijiji and contact them through a private platform. This helps them to avoid our security systems. If they ask you to reply to their personal email address instead of their masked Kijiji email, be cautious.
Tip: If for some reason a seller doesn’t want to use Kijiji messages to communicate, ask to give them a call. Fraudsters will rarely speak directly over the phone.
