Looking for a used car, motorcycle, boat or RV? Everyday millions of Canadians turn to the Internet and websites like Kijiji and Craigslist to find a deal -- but sometimes what you are likely to find is a scam.

Fraudsters linked to organized crime are planting fake ads on these websites to lure unsuspecting buyers. The seller may say they are helping an ill relative, serving in the military overseas or going through a messy divorce. They will price cars and other items far below their market value and consumers who feel as though they have stumbled across a great buying opportunity could end up paying thousands of dollars and getting nothing in return.

Marina Rose is a university student who works part time to put herself through school. She is from a large family and when her mother's car broke down she wanted to buy a vehicle to help out.

She found a 2005 Nissan Altima on Kijiji for $3,700. Rose said "It was the whole sob story. The woman was selling the car for her sick grandmother and she said the family just needed to sell the car fast."

The seller claimed to be living in the United Kingdom and told Rose they could use eBay Motors which has buyer protection provisions – however invoices and paperwork she received turned out to be fake. After wiring the money using Western Union, Rose realized she had been scammed.

To make matters worse, Rose had borrowed the money from the bank and still has to pay it back.

 "I feel horrible and I can't believe people would do this to others" she said.

Kijiji Canada says it watches for suspicious activity and takes down fraudulent ads as they are reported, but with 3 million ads on the website at any one time it's difficult to stay ahead of the scammers.

Christian Jasserand with Kijiji says organized crime is involved in fake ad scams and says Kijiji works best for local transactions. He says: "We always encourage people to meet the seller face to face."

Marina says if she wasn't in such a rush to help her family she may have realized that the deal was "too good to be true."

Key points:

  • Fraudulent ads can often appear on classified websites such as Craigslist and Kijiji or auction sites such as eBay Motors
  • They usually offer the vehicle at a price much lower than expected
  • Sometimes the scammer will replicate a genuine seller's advertisement and simply change the price and contact details
  • The seller will usually provide a very realistic reason why the vehicle is being sold at below market price. For example, the seller may say they have to move overseas or a relative is ill
  • Fake sellers often request that payment be made through an online banking transfer or a wire transfer - this may be an indicator that the transaction is going overseas
  • Consumers should report fraudulent ads directly to the Web site that hosted the vehicle listing

Additional tips to avoid cyber fraud:

  • Avoid unrealistic deals that seem ‘too good to be true'
  • Establish telephone or face-to-face contact with the buyer or seller
  • Determine where the car is located and ask if you can inspect the car. Make sure the title is clear and in the seller's possession.
  • Don't give out personal information such as your social security number, credit card number or bank account number
  • Check for obvious spelling or grammar errors in the correspondence
  • Be wary if the seller is based in or lives in another country
  • Avoid using cash wiring services such as Western Union or MoneyGram to pay for online purchases
  • Avoid using online escrow sites that can't be proven as legitimate