TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Floridians have received nearly $350,000 in refunds from businesses because of inflated prices related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state’s price gouging hotline has been contacted 4,200 times since a state of emergency was declared in mid-March because of the deadly virus.
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In addition, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office has issued 70 subpoenas as part of investigations into price gouging on high-demand items such as masks, sanitizing supplies, personal protective equipment and COVID-19 test kits.
“People that are going to use this crisis to profit while other people are just trying to protect themselves and their families, they need to be put on notice that we haven’t stopped working,” Moody said. “We’ll come for them.”
People who violate the state’s price-gouging law face penalties of $1,000 per violation, up to $25,000 per day.