As South Florida prepares for a possible hurricane, state officials activated the price gouging hotline in effort to protect consumers.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday night the opening of the hotline hours after Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in response to category 4 Hurricane Irma.
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It is illegal for businesses to extremely increase the price of essential goods such as food, water, ice, gasoline, lumber, equipment and even hotels during a state of emergency.
"Floridians need to prepare now and they should not be inhibited by unlawful price increases on supplies necessary to brace for a major hurricane strike," said Bondi.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced her department is "fully prepared" to respond to all complaints that come out of the storm.
"We are joining the efforts with the Miami-Dade Police Department to combat any greedy individuals and businesses that may use tragic events like a hurricane to take advantage of our community’s fundamental needs by unnecessarily hiking prices to outrageous levels,” Fernandez Rundle said.
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Anyone who suspects price gouging should report it to 1-866-9-NO-SCAM. Miami-Dade Police Department sent a stern warning on Twitter, tweeting "Price gouging during a state emergency is illegal!"
Anyone caught price gouging faces $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.
