Following an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis focused on coronavirus, on Tuesday, state Attorney General Ashley Moody activated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline for all consumers in the state.
The hotline number is 866-9NO-SCAM.
The opening of the hotline came after DeSantis declared a state of emergency in response to positive test results of 20 coronavirus-infected patients in Florida. The attorney general’s Price Gouging Hotline can only be activated following a state of emergency declaration issued by the Governor and covers essential commodities outlined in Florida Statute, Section 501.160.
“We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Florida very closely and following the governor’s state of emergency declaration, our price gouging laws are now in effect. I have a rapid response team ready to immediately respond to allegations of price gouging and our Consumer Protection Division continues to look for scams by fraudsters who would use this situation to rip-off Floridians,” Moody said on Tuesday.
“Be on the lookout for scams and guard against gouging, but remember, the best thing you can do right now is heed the advice of health experts—wash hands regularly and stay home if you are ill,” Moody added.
For a list of the commodities covered under the state’s price gouging laws during the COVID-19 state of emergency, click here.
For more information about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage by clicking here.
For the latest about COVID-19 in Florida, visit the Department of Health’s webpage linked here.
Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period. For more information on price gouging, please click here.
Price gouging can be reported by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com. For tips on reporting price gouging, click here.
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