Kijiji scams
Why am I getting "is this still available" scam texts after posting on Kijiji?
Because your phone number was in the ad. Scripts scan new Kijiji listings for phone numbers within hours of posting and text every one of them the same opener. The message is not from a buyer. It is a probe to see which numbers answer, and the numbers that answer get the real pitch: an e-transfer before pickup, a courier, a verification code, or a request to move to WhatsApp. The only way to stop the next round is to post the next ad with a number that is not your cell.
How the texts find you
A Kijiji ad with a number in it is public text. Scrapers copy new ads continuously and pull out anything that looks like a phone number. The first text usually arrives within a day of posting, often within an hour, and it usually arrives from a number in a different province or country.
The opener is deliberately bland. "Is this still available?" gets a yes from almost everyone, and a yes tells the sender that the number is live and the person behind it responds to texts.
What comes after you reply
- An offer to pay by e-transfer right now, sight unseen, often above the asking price, with a courier or a mover who will pick the item up. The e-transfer never clears, or a fake "pending deposit" email asks you to pay a fee to release it.
- A request for a verification code — the Google Voice verification code scam. A code arrives on your phone by text, and the sender asks you to read it back "to prove you are real". They are opening a Google Voice account against the number in your ad, and your code is the last step in it. The FTC's rule is the one to keep: never send a verification code to somebody who contacted you first.
- A push to continue on WhatsApp, Telegram, or email. Off Kijiji, the conversation cannot be reported to Kijiji and the sender can reuse the thread against your next listing.
- For cars and rentals, a story that needs your address or a document. A rental scam wants photos of the unit and the listing text so the ad can be reposted at a lower price under someone else’s name.
What to do with the texts you already have
Do not reply, not even to say no. A reply confirms the number. Delete the thread, and if the sender keeps going, forward the text to 7726, which is the spam reporting short code used by Canadian carriers, then block the number.
If a real buyer and a scammer both text you, the real buyer asks something specific about the item. Meet real buyers in a public place, take payment in person, and do not hand over anything on the strength of an e-transfer notification email.
How to stop it for the next listing
Leave the phone field blank and take Kijiji messages only, or put a number in the ad that is not your cell. TheLocalRing gives you a Canadian listing number for a day, three days, a week, or a month. Texts to it land in your email, your replies go back as texts from the listing number, and when the pass ends the number stops forwarding. The scrapers still copy the number. They copy a number that leads nowhere.
Pay only for the time you need
A listing number costs less than a coffee.
- 1 day
- C$2.99One payment. Never renews.
- 3 days
- C$5.99One payment. Never renews.
- 7 days
- C$7.99One payment. Never renews.
- Monthly
- C$14.99/monthFirst 14 days free. Cancel anytime.
Questions people ask next
Is "is this still available" always a scam?
No. Real buyers say it too. The difference is what comes next. A real buyer asks about the item and wants to see it. A scammer wants to pay before seeing it, wants a code, or wants to move the conversation off Kijiji.
Should I reply "no" to make them stop?
No. Any reply confirms the number is live. Delete the thread and block the sender.
How do I report a scam text in Canada?
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) on Bell, Rogers, Telus, and their sub-brands. You can also report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Why did the texts start within an hour of posting?
Scrapers watch the newest listings continuously. An ad with a phone number is picked up almost as soon as it is live.
Will deleting my number from the ad stop the texts?
It stops new scrapers. Copies of the ad already made keep the number, so expect a tail of texts for a few weeks.
Does a listing number stop the scam texts?
It moves them. The scam texts go to the listing number, land in your email where they are easy to ignore, and stop when the pass ends. Your cell never enters the ad.
How much does a listing number cost?
A 1-day pass is C$2.99, a 3-day pass is C$5.99, a 7-day pass is C$7.99, and Monthly is C$14.99 a month with the first 14 days free. A card is collected at checkout and charged only when those 14 days end. The short passes never renew.
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TheLocalRing is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, AutoTrader, Craigslist, or Google. Published 2026-09-08.