📱 Avoiding SMS / Text Scams
At Kijiji, your security is our top priority. We continuously monitor reports from our user community to keep fraudulent activity off the platform. Unfortunately, fraudsters are always looking for new ways to reach users — including through text messages or SMS sent directly to your phone.
These fake messages are typically designed to move communication away from Kijiji, allowing scammers to bypass our safety systems. They often ask you to email them instead of replying through Kijiji’s secure message system.
Please be aware that scammers may even use local area codes to appear legitimate.
⚠️ How these scams usually start
A typical scam text might look like this:
“Am interested in item, please email me at johndoe3275@gmail.com as I’m at work.”
🚩 Warning signs include:
- The phone number is not local, or uses a suspicious international prefix.
- The message includes strange punctuation, poor grammar, or random numbers in the email address.
- You are asked to switch to email communication immediately.
Remember — legitimate buyers can easily contact you through Kijiji’s reply system. Scammers ask for email contact to avoid detection and to communicate more easily using tools like translation software or message templates.
🕵️♀️ Their usual story
Once you reply, the scammer may share a long explanation meant to sound believable. Common examples include:
- They claim to work on an oil rig, military base, or aboard a ship, and cannot meet in person.
- They say they are travelling abroad or working for charity organizations like Greenpeace.
- They insist they can only communicate via text or email, and not by phone or in person.
These excuses are designed to gain your trust and explain away their inability to meet or verify the transaction.
💸 How the scam works
After gaining your confidence, the scammer will typically:
- Offer to pay more than your asking price, supposedly as a gesture of goodwill or to “secure” the item.
- Say they cannot inspect the item and will send a courier or agent to collect it.
- Request your PayPal information or ask you to create an account.
- Then claim there’s been a payment issue, sending a fake PayPal confirmation email showing an “extra” amount for shipping.
- Ask you to wire transfer the shipping or agent fee using Western Union, MoneyGram, or another untraceable method.
Scammers sometimes even threaten legal action or claim that PayPal or “federal police” will get involved if you don’t complete the transaction. These threats are fake — no such payment has ever been made.
✅ To confirm, log in directly to your official PayPal account or contact PayPal directly. Never rely on email notifications alone.
🧭 Protect yourself from SMS scams
- Avoid including your phone number in your ads. We understand it can speed up communication, but removing it limits scammers’ access to you.
- Never respond to suspicious texts or emails asking you to move the conversation off Kijiji.
- Report spam texts to your mobile provider by forwarding them to 7726 (S-P-A-M). Include the spam message and sender’s number in your report.
- Trust your instincts — if something feels off or too convenient, it’s best to walk away.
- Meet in person to finalize transactions whenever possible. Once you’ve inspected the item, pay safely using cash or a secure, traceable method like Interac e-Transfer.
- Never mail cheques or wire money to sellers or buyers. Avoid Western Union, MoneyGram, or cryptocurrency payments.
💡 Remember
Scammers rely on creating a sense of urgency, emotional pressure, or confusion. Taking a moment to verify information — through Kijiji’s message system, trusted payment services, or direct communication — can prevent costly losses.
