Every week in Canada, people get scammed buying a Mac on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. Not because they're naive — but because scams have become sophisticated and dishonest sellers have learned to mimic legitimate ones.
Here's what's circulating in 2026, and how to avoid it.
The 6 Most Common MacBook Scams in Canada
1. The Hidden Activation Lock
This is the most frequent and most damaging scam. The Mac sells normally, the transaction happens in person, everything seems legit. But once you get home and try to set it up, you hit a screen asking for the previous owner's Apple ID.
You don't have it. The seller stops responding. And you have a $900 Mac that's completely useless.
How to avoid it: Before paying, ask the seller to go to System Settings → [name] → iCloud → Find My Mac. If Find My is enabled, ask them to disable it in front of you (takes 30 seconds with their Apple ID password). If the seller "can't remember their password" or refuses, the transaction ends there.
2. The Corporate Mac with Invisible MDM
This scam is less known but potentially more destructive. Employees leave their employer and take the company-provided Mac with them — sometimes with tacit company approval, sometimes not. They resell it on Kijiji without mentioning that the device is enrolled in a corporate management system (MDM).
A few weeks after purchase, the former employer remotely wipes the device, or the management settings conflict with your use. In extreme cases, the Mac becomes unusable.
How to avoid it: Open Terminal on the Mac and type:
profiles status -type enrollment
If the response contains MDM enrollment: Yes, the Mac is managed by an organization. Avoid.
A ClariMac report checks this automatically and displays it clearly in the Security section.
3. The "Like New" Battery Lie
The seller says the battery is "like new." In reality, it's at 58% health and lasts 2 hours with light use. This is hard to detect during a quick 10-minute test — the battery seems to work normally.
This isn't necessarily an intentional scam: many sellers genuinely don't know their battery's condition. But the result for you is the same: you pay the price of a Mac in good condition and get a device that needs to stay plugged in constantly.
How to avoid it: Before deciding, ask the seller to go to Apple menu → System Information → Power to see the cycle count and health percentage. Or better — ask for a ClariMac report that documents this data in a verifiable way.
MacBook battery cycle reference:
- Under 300 cycles: excellent
- 300–500 cycles: good, a few years of use
- 500–800 cycles: acceptable, monitor the health
- Over 800 cycles: avoid unless the price is very low
4. The Mac with Modified or Erased Serial Number
This scam mostly targets Macs that have been stolen and "cleaned" for resale. The serial number is the Mac's ID card — Apple uses it to associate the device with an owner and warranty.
Some fraudsters attempt to modify or erase this number. A Mac with an invalid serial number cannot be registered, cannot receive Apple support, and could be confiscated.
How to avoid it: Go to checkcoverage.apple.com and enter the serial number. If Apple doesn't recognize it, or if the device is listed as "belonging to an organization" the seller can't identify, walk away.
5. The Remote Payment Scam (for Sellers)
This one targets people selling their Mac, not buyers. You post your listing, an enthusiastic "buyer" contacts you quickly, often by SMS or WhatsApp rather than through Kijiji.
The typical scenario:
- The buyer "is out of town" and can't meet in person
- They want to pay via PayPal Friends & Family, by e-transfer "they already sent," or by certified check
- They send you a screenshot confirming payment
- They ask you to ship the Mac immediately
The screenshot is fake. The e-transfer was never sent. The certified check is counterfeit. And your Mac is now in a box heading to an unknown address.
Absolute rule: Never ship a Mac to someone you haven't met in person. If the buyer truly can't come to you, require an Interac transfer that is completed and received in your account before anything else.
6. The Mac with Non-Original Replacement Parts
Some Macs look like they just came out of the box but have been repaired with third-party parts — a replacement screen without True Tone, a non-Apple-certified battery, a rebuilt keyboard. These repairs aren't illegal, but they should be reflected in the price.
Apple refuses to replace certain parts if non-original components are detected. And some third-party parts have compatibility issues that only appear after a few months.
How to avoid it: For screens and batteries, macOS displays a warning in settings if a non-original part is detected. Check System Settings → General → About (battery section) and Display Settings for these warnings.
Universal Red Flags
No matter the scam, these signs should trigger an alarm:
- The price is too good — 40–50% below market value for no obvious reason
- The seller refuses to show you the Mac powered on, or wants to "bring it home first"
- The Kijiji or Facebook profile was created recently (check the registration date)
- The seller can't answer basic questions about the Mac ("I don't use it much")
- The transaction takes place in an isolated or unusual location
- The seller insists on an untraceable payment method
Quick In-Person Verification Checklist
When you meet the seller, take 5–10 minutes for these checks before handing over money:
- Start the Mac from a full shutdown (not from sleep) — to verify normal startup
- Check Activation Lock: System Settings → [Apple ID name] → iCloud → Find My
- Verify the serial number: Apple menu → About This Mac → compare with the bottom of the device
- Battery: Apple menu → System Information → Power → cycles and health
- Terminal:
profiles status -type enrollmentfor MDM - Webcam: open Photo Booth or FaceTime
- All ports: plug something into every USB/Thunderbolt port
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: connect to your phone's personal hotspot
Or simply ask the seller to share their ClariMac report — all this data is already there, verified and timestamped.
What ClariMac Automatically Detects
| Risk | Detected by ClariMac | |------|---------------------| | Activation Lock | Yes — ON/OFF status visible | | Corporate MDM | Yes — enrolled or not | | Serial number | Yes — displayed and linked to Apple model | | Battery health | Yes — precise % + cycles | | Recent crashes | Yes — last 7 days | | FileVault active | Yes | | Secure Boot | Yes | | SIP disabled | Yes — signals system modifications |
A Mac sold with a ClariMac report is a seller with nothing to hide. If a listing doesn't have one, ask for it — or insist on running the checks yourself in person.
Selling a Mac and want to reassure buyers?