OAG Issues 65 Subpoenas for Price Gouging

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Release Date
Apr 14, 2020
Contact
Kylie Mason
Phone
850-245-0150


TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Consumer Protection Division continues to fight price gouging—issuing investigative subpoenas, securing refunds and working to address consumer concerns in real time. Attorney General Moody activated the Price Gouging Hotline following the Governor’s COVID-19 emergency declaration. Since then, members of the Attorney General’s Rapid Response Team, Consumer Protection Division and Price Gouging Hotline have been working with a sense of urgency to deter price gouging.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “For more than a month now, my investigators and attorneys have been working diligently to deter price gouging, secure refunds and hold bad actors accountable. These efforts are producing results, and a large part of that success is due to the great information we are receiving from Floridians who do not want to see their neighbors taken advantage of during these challenging times. Please keep the reports coming and we will continue our efforts to deter price gouging and hold gougers accountable.”

Since activating Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline, the Florida Attorney General’s Office has:
  • Received approximately 2,700 consumer contacts about the price of essential commodities;
  • Made more than 3,800 referrals and contacts to merchants about allegations of price gouging, refunds and scams;
  • Secured more than $158,000 in refunds related to travel, leisure and product purchases;
  • Issued 65 subpoenas to further price gouging investigations; and
  • Worked with online platforms to deactivate more than 160 posts offering items for outrageous prices.
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.

For a list of the commodities covered under the state’s price gouging laws during the COVID-19 state of emergency, click here.

Price gouging can be reported by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM, visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or downloading the NO SCAM smartphone app.

For tips on reporting price gouging, click here.

Since the COVID-19 emergency declaration, Attorney General Moody has issued seven Consumer Alerts with information about emerging scams and tips to avoid fraud. To view the latest alerts and to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 related scams, visit the Attorney General’s Consumer Alert webpage by clicking here.