Calgary man violently attacked at home during Marketplace sale

A Calgary man is warning others after a terrifying encounter in his southeast home, where two men posing as buyers for a computer turned violent, blasting him with bear spray and launching an attack—all captured on his home surveillance system.

Jason, the homeowner, had listed a computer for sale on Facebook Marketplace. When two apparent buyers arrived at his home in the community of Dover, he thought little of their covered faces, assuming it was due to the cold weather.

Once inside, the men lowered their masks, and one even removed his shoes, giving the impression of a normal transaction.

But moments later, the situation escalated. The suspects insisted on taking the computer “as is” before one of them suddenly sprayed Jason in the face with bear spray.

Security footage shows a violent struggle inside the home that spilled out onto the front yard, with Jason’s wife rushing to help.

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RAW: Calgary homeowner attacked during Marketplace sale

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“At that point, I was seeing black,” Jason recalled. “We were screaming at the top of our lungs because of the burning sensation on our face. In my mind, I just wanted to protect my wife. At that point they dragged me outside, they beat me, they punched my head.”

During the altercation, Jason heard his wife scream. He let go of one of the attackers, who dropped the laptop before fleeing.

After a further struggle back inside, the suspects ran off, leaving Jason and his wife shaken. Both of them incurred injuries due to the attack, including on Jason’s arms, legs, chest, head, and neck, and on his wife’s hands and feet.

“I’m still scared, because they know our house,” says his wife, Nanh. “So I’m not sure if they’re gonna come back to try to take revenge or anything.”

Since the attack, Jason has learned of similar incidents across Calgary. He believes the same suspects were involved in another robbery targeting an elderly man in the city’s northwest.

“They pushed him down to the ground, and that could have been fatal,” Jason said.

Calgary Police confirmed the attack was disturbing but not unique. CPS Insp. Jason Walker noted that criminals are increasingly using online marketplaces to target unsuspecting sellers.

“It’s sobering when these things happen,” Walker said. “Unfortunately, it’s not isolated. We have these incidents playing out across the city. No one area gets targeted more than others.”

Authorities are urging Calgarians to take precautions when meeting buyers or sellers from online platforms. Police recommend:

• Avoid meeting at home. Choose public places instead, such as a police station parking lot.
• Watch for red flags. Be cautious if someone insists on coming to your home or pressures you to rush a sale.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels off, cancel the meeting.

Jason hopes sharing his ordeal will prevent others from falling victim.

“Ideally, that’s what we want to prevent, that ever occurring again,” he said.