Watch Out for the "FedEx Gift to the US" Scam on Kijiji (Breakdown & Red Flags)

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1

I recently listed a brand-new Apple Watch for sale on Kijiji and ran into a “textbook shipping/overpayment” scam. Fortunately, I caught it before losing any money, but I wanted to break down the exact playbook they used so other sellers can spot it immediately.

The Script: How It Unfolded

  1. The Fast Exit from Kijiji Chat The buyer (“Allison”) asked a couple of generic questions about the item’s condition, then immediately asked to move to SMS: “Got a cell I can text?” (They even warned me to check my spam folder, a giveaway that VoIP/burner numbers were being used).
  2. The “Out-of-Country Relative” Story Once on text, the buyer claimed she was buying the watch as a birthday gift for her daughter located in the US.
  3. Overpaying Without Haggling Without asking for a discount, the buyer offered $100+ over the asking price to cover FedEx 2-day shipping and rushed to get my email address to “e-Transfer right away.”
  4. The Goal: Fake Interac Escrow Had I provided my email, they would have sent a spoofed “Interac e-Transfer” email stating that funds were being held in escrow until I supplied a FedEx tracking number. Interac e-Transfer has no escrow service.
  5. Instant Hostility When Verified The moment I asked the buyer to confirm their identity back on the Kijiji platform, the polite facade completely dropped into insults and profanity.

Key Red Flags to Watch For

  • Requesting to move off-platform immediately: Scammers avoid the Kijiji messaging system to prevent their accounts from getting banned quickly.
  • US phone numbers / Area codes: (In this case, a +1 302 Delaware number contacting a Montreal seller).
  • Offers to overpay or cover shipping sight unseen: Real local buyers rarely offer above asking price for standard electronics just to ship them across international borders.
  • The “gift for someone else” premise: This is universally used to explain why they cannot meet in person.

Rule of Thumb for Sellers

  • Keep communication on Kijiji until you are actively coordinating a physical meetup.
  • Cash or in-person e-Transfer only at a secure, public location (e.g., bank lobby or police exchange zone).
  • If a buyer insists on shipping, direct them to an e-commerce platform with dedicated seller protection (like eBay) rather than a local classifieds site.
2

Hello @saeed_abdolahian

Thank you for sharing your experience.

I have investigated the messages on your account and I see the person you were communicating with has been removed from Kijiji.

Here are some tips to help you stay safer when using Kijiji:

First read the following help pages:

Keep communication on Kijiji.
Never include your phone number or other direct contact information in your ad. Keeping conversations on Kijiji
allows our moderators to monitor for signs of fraud or scams.

Meet in person whenever possible.
Arrange to meet in a public place. Only consider going to your home after you feel comfortable and have
properly vetted the buyer.

If shipping is necessary:
a) Use Canada Post Collect on Delivery (COD). While not foolproof, the buyer must pay before
accepting the item.
b) Set up Auto Deposit for Interac e-Transfers.

  • Once enabled, do not open transfers that do not auto-deposit.
  • Opening fraudulent transfer notifications can expose you to malicious links or programs.
  • Legitimate transfers will always auto-deposit if properly sent.
  • If possible, use a bank account with limited funds to reduce risk if fraud occurs.

Cash is safest,
but avoid accepting $50 or $100 bills or any paper (non-polymer/mylar) bills, as these are easier to
counterfeit. Before completing the transaction, quickly compare serial numbers—counterfeit bills often
share identical numbers.

Avoid cheques.

Be cautious with prepayments.
Avoid buyers who offer to prepay and pick up later, unless you specifically requested a deposit.

Interac:
Never complete the sale until after the Interac transaction is completed.
Until the funds are actually deposited in your account the transaction can be cancelled or the user may have only pretended to send them.
If it takes too long ask them to go to a bank,

  Use an account that has  little funds in it.   This way if someone does get into your account the loss will be small.

Finally, remember: you are never obligated to complete a transaction. If something feels off, trust your instincts—stop communication, block the user, and report the situation to us for review.

Sincerely,

Moon