If you are currently looking for employment, odd jobs, or “cash-in-hand” work, we want to flag a highly deceptive trend currently circulating on classified platforms.
Scammers are actively targeting job seekers by offering quick, easy cash to post automotive, RV, or rental listings on their behalf. Unfortunately, this leaves honest users holding the blame for fraudulent listings.
Here is exactly how this scam works, how it impacts you, and how to spot it before it’s too late.
How the “Pay-to-Post” Scam Works
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The Bait: You post an ad offering your services, looking for cash-in-hand or general labor.
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The Hook: A “buyer” or “employer” contacts you. Instead of offering traditional work, they offer you a surprisingly high amount of money (e.g., $200–$300) just to copy and paste a listing for them—often a high-demand item like a travel trailer, camper, vehicle, or apartment rental.
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The Trap: They provide the pictures, description, and their contact number or email to put inside the ad. Because you need the extra income, it looks like an easy, victimless task.
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The Fraud: Once the ad goes live, dozens of real buyers begin messaging you. Following the “employer’s” instructions, you tell those buyers to contact the phone number inside the ad description.
What is actually happening behind the scenes?
The person who hired you does not own the item being sold. They are running a deposit scam. When unsuspecting buyers call the number in your ad, the scammer demands a “holding deposit” or down payment to secure the trailer, takes the money, and disappears.
Why Scammers Do This (and Why it Puts You at Risk)
You might wonder: Why don’t the scammers just post the ads themselves? * They bypass security filters: Platforms like Kijiji have advanced security filters that instantly catch and block known scammers, bad IP addresses, or suspicious accounts.
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They hide behind your good reputation: By using your clean, legitimate, and verified account, the scammer successfully slips past security filters.
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You take the fall: When buyers realize they have been defrauded, your account is the one that gets reported, flagged, and permanently banned for fraud. The scammer walks away with the stolen deposits, completely anonymous.
Real-Life Takeaway: “I was a victim, too”
Many users who fall for this are not trying to hurt anyone; they are simply honest people who naively expected to be paid for a simple job. Unfortunately, the scammers rarely—if ever—actually pay you the $300 they promised. You end up losing your Kijiji account, receiving no money, and dealing with the stress of inadvertently helping a criminal.
If you realize a job you’ve taken sounds like this, delete the ad immediately to protect other community members.
How to Protect Yourself While Job Hunting
To keep your account safe and avoid being trapped by these schemes, follow these golden rules:
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Never post an ad for an item you do not physically own or possess. If you haven’t seen the vehicle, trailer, or property in person, do not list it under your name.
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Never let anyone else dictate what goes on your account. Your account is your digital signature.
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Be skeptical of high pay for zero effort. If someone is willing to pay $300 for 5 minutes of copy-pasting, it is a scam. They could easily post it themselves for free if it were legitimate.
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Keep communication on the platform. If an “employer” immediately tries to pull you off Kijiji chat to sketchy text messages or encrypted apps, proceed with extreme caution.
Spotted a suspicious job offer? > If someone approaches you with an offer like this, do not engage. Report the user directly to the Kijiji Moderation Team using the “contact Kijiji option” from your Community Connect profile.