TAMPA (WFLA) – Attorney General Ashley Moody has extended Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline for consumers in all Florida counties.
Moody activated the hotline on Wednesday in the wake of Dorian.
The law prohibits extreme increases in the price of essential commodities in response to an officially declared emergency. That includes prices of food, water, hotels, ice, gas, lumber and other equipment.
“The state of emergency has been extended to include all 67 counties in Florida in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian. You should be taking steps now to ensure you are prepared for the storm and the possibility of days without electricity. I have extended Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline to all 67 counties in an effort to prevent gouging, so Floridians can afford essential items now. Please report gouging to my office by calling (866) 9NO-SCAM or download our new reporting app—NO SCAM.” Moody said.
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Price gougers can be fined $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations within a 24-hour period.
State law criminalizes the sale of goods and services to the public without possession of a business tax receipt. Violators of the law can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.
You can learn more about price gouging and how to protect yourself on AG Moody’s website.
