Avoiding Vehicle Scams
Safety remains our number one concern. While we do our best to keep the site clean, losses in the vehicle section can be costly. Please take a few extra steps to protect yourself when buying or selling a vehicle on Kijiji.
🔎 If it looks too good to be true — it probably is
- Compare prices with similar models on the market.
- Be wary of anyone offering to “connect you with a buyer” for a fee, especially if they mention “refund insurance.” These offers are scams.
📋 Do your homework
- Make sure you know the legal steps for transferring ownership in your province.
- Review the vehicle’s CARFAX Canada report to confirm its condition and history.
- Verify the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and ensure the seller’s name matches the ownership documents.
- If the ad mentions passing a provincial inspection (e.g., Drive Clean), confirm this directly with the agency.
🕵️♂️ Check the details
- Confirm that the kilometers, features, and year in the ad match the vehicle.
- Review the photos carefully — mismatched backgrounds (like palm trees in an Edmonton ad) can be a red flag.
- Search the ad’s photos or VIN online to check for duplicates posted under different names or cities.
👤 Verify the seller
- Ask for the seller’s full name and phone number and ensure they match the ownership.
- Be cautious if the seller refuses to meet in person or claims to be “out of town” or “deployed overseas.”
- If you can’t meet right away, request a video call and ask the seller to show the car’s VIN, plate, or odometer.
🚫 Avoid “shipping” or “escrow” scams
- Kijiji does not partner with any shipping, inspection, or escrow services.
- Scammers may claim the vehicle will be shipped after payment through a “trusted” service — don’t send money in these cases.
💰 Be careful with deposits and payments
- Never send a “deposit” or payment before seeing the vehicle in person.
- Be wary of anyone who sends you more money than agreed upon and asks for a refund — it’s likely a scam.
- Fraudsters may use fake e-transfer confirmations or counterfeit bank drafts.
🤝 Meet safely and pay securely
- Always meet in a public, well-lit location, such as a police-designated “Safe Exchange Zone.”
- Inspect the vehicle before paying.
- Use secure, cashless payment methods (e.g., Interac e-transfer) at your discretion.
- Avoid mailing cheques or wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram.
Remember: keeping transactions local and in person is the safest way to buy or sell a vehicle on Kijiji.
