Is Kijiji a Scam?

Our verdict

Kijiji is not a scam. It is operated by Adevinta, a publicly listed Norwegian media company, and it is the dominant classifieds platform in Canada with over 12 million monthly users. But the CAFC listed online marketplace fraud — the category that includes Kijiji-style peer-to-peer listings — as the #1 fraud type by number of reports for the third year in a row in 2025. The platform hosts millions of legitimate transactions. It also hosts a dense network of scammers who know exactly what they are doing.

The overpayment scam is the oldest and still the most common. A buyer contacts you about your listing, offers to pay more than the asking price, and sends you an e-Transfer or money order for the excess. They ask you to refund the difference. The original payment bounces or gets reversed — the money was never real — and you are out whatever you sent back. On Kijiji specifically, the CAFC has documented this pattern in vehicle sales, rental listings, and high-value electronics. Losses average $2,800 per victim.

Rental fraud is rampant. Scammers scrape real property photos from MLS listings and Airbnb, repost them on Kijiji at below-market rent to attract desperate renters, and collect a deposit before disappearing. In Toronto and Vancouver — where rental competition is severe — victims have paid first and last month's rent ($4,000 to $6,000) for units they will never see. The CAFC received over 1,200 rental fraud complaints in 2024 alone. Red flags: landlord is traveling abroad, refuses in-person viewings, insists on e-Transfer deposit before signing a lease.

The puppy and pet scam follows the same template. A listing shows a purebred dog or cat at an attractive price. After payment, the 'seller' claims the pet is stuck at customs and needs additional fees — shipping insurance, a health certificate, a temperature-controlled crate. Every few days, a new fee appears. The pet does not exist. The CAFC received 6,800 pet fraud complaints in 2024, with median losses of $1,200. If you cannot meet the animal in person before paying, do not pay.

Vehicle sales are the highest-loss category. Scammers list clean-looking cars at prices that are just below market — plausible enough not to trigger suspicion. They create fake vehicle history reports. Some operate fake escrow services that look professional enough to fool experienced buyers. CAFC data shows vehicle fraud averaging $9,600 per victim. The rule is absolute: never pay for a vehicle you have not seen in person, test-driven, and had inspected by your own mechanic.

Safe Kijiji practices: meet in person at a public place or a police station's designated safe exchange zone (many Canadian police services now offer this). Accept cash or verified bank draft only for high-value items. For real estate, insist on viewing the physical space before any money changes hands. Use the CAFC ScamAssist tool at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca to report suspected listings. A Kijiji listing that seems slightly too good is not a deal — it is a signal.

Editorial note: This article reflects the state of publicly available information at the time of writing. Business practices, ownership, and safety records change over time. TrustChekr is not affiliated with any company reviewed here and does not receive payment for editorial coverage. Verdicts are based on documented evidence and are subject to revision.