Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is activating Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline following a state of emergency declaration for the North Florida tornadoes.
The order follows Governor Ron DeSantis’s state of emergency declaration covering Baker, Columbia, Gadsden, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.
The Price Gouging Hotline is now available to receive reports of extreme price increases on essential commodities. Florida’s price gouging law only applies to items and services essential to getting ready for, or recovering from, a storm within the areas of a declared state of emergency.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Declares Storm Emergency
“Early morning tornadoes and severe weather ripped through North Florida—causing major damage and widespread power outages. As emergency crews remove road debris and rush to restore power, it is vital that Floridians in hard hit areas heed the advice of local officials. Those consumers who are purchasing emergency supplies should report any incidences of suspected price gouging by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com to file a complaint," said Moody.
During a storm-related declared state of emergency, state law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, such as equipment, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, ice, lumber and water needed as a direct result of the event.
Anyone who suspects price gouging can report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM. For more information on price gouging, access Attorney General Moody’s Scams at a Glance: Price Gouging resource by clicking here.
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