Attorneys general across the country have ramped up their efforts to combat coronavirus price gouging.
Reports of increased prices for face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and other coronavirus-related products are flooding state attorneys general’s offices.
Most state laws prohibit retailers from raising prices by more than 10 percent during a state of emergency. Violating that law could result in thousands of dollars of fines and other penalties.
In New Jersey, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued 13 subpoenas and more than 80 warning letters to people suspected of illegally hiking prices amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The businesses were not named but represented a “much smaller number of identifiable businesses,” Mr. Grewal said in a statement.
Mr. Grewal said the number of price-gouging complaints has exceeded 600, more than twice the number of complaints from March 12, when the tally stood at 270.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a cease-and-desist letter to home improvement retailer Menards, calling its actions “unconscionable.”
Ms. Nessel accused Menards — one of the state’s largest retailers — of jacking up prices on bleach and face masks during the pandemic. She said she’s received 18 complaints from consumers about price increases.
Investigators said Menards “essentially doubled the price on some cleaning products,” noting a two-pack of face masks was selling for $39.95, according to her letter.
A spokesman for Menards said its prices were “reasonable.”
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said his office is probing more than 71 reports of retailers trying to line their pockets. He has fielded complaints from a resident who was charged nearly $40 for a 30-pack of toilet paper and another who said they paid more than $25 for hand sanitizer that normally retails for roughly $10.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter has more than 20 open price gouging complaints, although none of the investigations have resulted in criminal charges.
Mr. Hunter said his office is also receiving complaints of online scams related to the coronavirus, including phony requests for charitable contributions.
“If you get something that looks like it’s from the WHO or CDC, those won’t just appear in your inbox,” Mr. Hunter said in a statement. “You have to be part of a very official network. The link could introduce malware into your computer.”
Attorney General William P. Barr on Monday issued a memorandum to U.S. attorneys across the country urging them to vigorously prosecute retailers taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The pandemic is dangerous enough without wrongdoers seeking to profit from public panic, and this sort of conduct cannot be tolerated,” he wrote.
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