What are the red flags of this scam?

A buyer insists on paying in cash rather than Interac e-Transfer, bank draft, or another traceable method — particularly for high-value items like phones, gold, or electronics • The buyer is in a hurry to complete the transaction, does not want to wait while you count or inspect the bills, or creates distractions during the handover • Bills look slightly off: wrong texture, colour shift, or no raised ink on the security features — Bank of Canada polymer notes have raised ink, a metallic security strip, and a transparent window with shifting colour • Multiple $100 or $50 bills share the same serial number — a reliable sign of counterfeits printed from the same plate • The buyer proposed a meeting location that is not a public Police Safe Trade Zone and resisted when you suggested one • The buyer found you through a freshly created or sparse Facebook account with few friends or posts

What should I do if this happened to me?

Whenever possible, request Interac e-Transfer or a bank-issued certified cheque for items valued over a few hundred dollars — counterfeit currency risk disappears entirely • If accepting cash, inspect each bill before handing over the item: check the raised ink on the portrait side, tilt the bill to see the colour-shifting metallic strip, and look through the transparent window • Fan the bills and scan serial numbers — counterfeit batches often repeat the same serial number across multiple notes • Meet buyers at a Police Safe Trade Zone, which most Ontario police stations now provide: well-lit, monitored, and recorded, which deters fraud • If you received counterfeit bills, preserve them as evidence (handle minimally, place in a bag) and report to your local police — do not try to pass them yourself • Also report to the Bank of Canada's counterfeit-reporting line and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre • Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

HIGH marketplace Last reported: Oct 20, 2026 Share

A Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji buyer pays in cash and the bills turn out to be counterfeit

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Buyers on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji pay in fake $100 or $50 Canadian bills for electronics, gold, or other valuables. The seller hands over the item and only discovers the fraud when a bank ATM rejects the cash or a teller flags duplicate serial numbers.

Buyers on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji pay in fake $100 or $50 Canadian bills for electronics, gold, or other valuables. The seller hands over the item and only discovers the fraud when a bank ATM rejects the cash or a teller flags duplicate serial numbers.

Also known as: fake Canadian cash Facebook Marketplace scam, counterfeit $100 bills online marketplace Canada, fake cash Kijiji buyer Canada, counterfeit currency private sale Canada, fake bills electronics sale Ontario

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Whenever possible, request Interac e-Transfer or a bank-issued certified cheque for items valued over a few hundred dollars — counterfeit currency risk disappears entirely
2 If accepting cash, inspect each bill before handing over the item: check the raised ink on the portrait side, tilt the bill to see the colour-shifting metallic strip, and look through the transparent window
3 Fan the bills and scan serial numbers — counterfeit batches often repeat the same serial number across multiple notes
4 Meet buyers at a Police Safe Trade Zone, which most Ontario police stations now provide: well-lit, monitored, and recorded, which deters fraud
5 If you received counterfeit bills, preserve them as evidence (handle minimally, place in a bag) and report to your local police — do not try to pass them yourself
6 Also report to the Bank of Canada's counterfeit-reporting line and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
7 Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or call 1-888-495-8501.

Red flags

⚠ A buyer insists on paying in cash rather than Interac e-Transfer, bank draft, or another traceable method — particularly for high-value items like phones, gold, or electronics
⚠ The buyer is in a hurry to complete the transaction, does not want to wait while you count or inspect the bills, or creates distractions during the handover
⚠ Bills look slightly off: wrong texture, colour shift, or no raised ink on the security features — Bank of Canada polymer notes have raised ink, a metallic security strip, and a transparent window with shifting colour
⚠ Multiple $100 or $50 bills share the same serial number — a reliable sign of counterfeits printed from the same plate
⚠ The buyer proposed a meeting location that is not a public Police Safe Trade Zone and resisted when you suggested one
⚠ The buyer found you through a freshly created or sparse Facebook account with few friends or posts

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources